Dune Maverick

Rover is a motor vehicle that travels across the surface of the planet upon arrival. Researchers are using rovers to examine planet areas such as sand dunes and mountains which rover can climb. A characteristic that sets true dunes apart from other wind-shaped bodies of sand, such as drifts and ripples is a steep, downwind slope known as the slip face. Sand blows across the windward side of the dune suddenly becomes sheltered from the wind by the dune itself. The sand falls out of the air and builds up on the slope until it becomes steepened and flows in mini-avalanches down the face.