RSL follow the sun in crater on Melas Chasm floor

RSL follow the sun in crater on Melas Chasm floor
RSL follow the sun in crater on Melas Chasm floor Sequence of 8 images showing RSL forming first on the north-facing slope (bottom), then switching to the south-facing slope (top). This change occurred close to when the subsolar latitude moved from the north to the south of the latitude of this crater. In other words, RSL are most active on the slopes that receive more direct sunlight. There was also an episode of inactivity and fading of RSL on the south-facing slope, when the air over this region was especially dusty (Ls 235-246). Dusty air makes the daytime temperatures cooler, which may have temporarily stopped the RSL activity. NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona