Martian ‘Linear Dune Gullies’ Are Created by Sliding Blocks of Carbon Dioxide Ice, Researchers Find

Blocks of dry ice carve gullies on Martian dunes through explosive sublimation

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Oct 15, 2025 Mysterious gullies carved into Martian sand dunes have long puzzled planetary scientists. Now, new experiments by Utrecht University Earth scientist Dr Lonneke Roelofs suggest they were dug not by flowing water or lifeforms, but by sliding blocks of solid carbon dioxide that explode and burrow as they sublimate under Martian conditions. Roelofs replicated the process in a controlled "Mars

Martian ‘Linear Dune Gullies’ are Created by Sliding Blocks of Carbon Dioxide Ice, Researchers Find

On some of the dune fields on Mars, parallel channels, called linear dune gullies, are found. Contrary to their name these gullies are often highly sinuous. The post Martian ‘Linear Dune Gullies’ are Created by Sliding Blocks of Carbon Dioxide Ice, Researchers Find appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.