The Martian Sandworms: How Dry Ice Might Burrow Through Red Planet Dunes

The vast, desolate landscapes of Mars hold countless secrets, but a new scientific theory suggests some of its most enigmatic features might be sculpted by an unexpected, almost cinematic, force: dry ice acting like the iconic sandworms of Arrakis. Imagine gigantic slabs of frozen carbon dioxide, not biological creatures, burrowing and scooting across the Red Planet's vast dune fields, leaving behind telltale trails and grooves.

This fascinating hypothesis offers a fresh perspective on the dynamic geological processes occurring on our planetary neighbor.

At the heart of this "Martian sandworm" phenomenon is sublimation. Unlike Earth, where water ice melts, Mars' incredibly thin atmosphere and frigid temperatures mean that frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, doesn't melt into a liquid.

Instead, it transitions directly from a solid to a gas, a process known as sublimation. When slabs of seasonal dry ice form on and under Mars' sandy dunes, solar radiation can penetrate the translucent ice. This energy heats the sand underneath, causing the bottom layers of the dry ice slab to sublimate rapidly.

This rapid sublimation generates a cushion of high-pressure carbon dioxide gas trapped beneath the ice slab.

This gas acts like a lubricant, reducing friction between the ice block and the Martian surface. The pressure buildup can be immense, potentially lifting the ice block slightly and allowing it to move or "scoot" across the dune slopes. Scientists propose that as these blocks move, they can carve out distinct, often branching, channels and grooves in the sand, features that have long puzzled researchers studying high-resolution images of Mars.

The "sandworm" analogy, while evocative, isn't just for flair.

The way these proposed dry ice blocks could interact with the dunes – pushing through the sand, potentially even breaking apart and leaving multiple trails – evokes the powerful, landscape-altering movement described in Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic. Researchers from institutions like the SETI Institute and Georgia Tech have been exploring this concept, using laboratory experiments and numerical models to understand the physics behind such movements.

They've observed similar dynamics in terrestrial experiments where CO2 ice is placed on granular surfaces.

Understanding this dry ice-driven process is crucial for deciphering Mars' geological history and present-day activity. It could explain the formation of various types of Martian features, including gully-like channels, patterned ground, and unusual depressions seen in the planet's polar regions and mid-latitudes.

Furthermore, it highlights the surprisingly active nature of Mars' surface, even without the presence of liquid water. The Red Planet, far from being a static, dead world, continues to surprise us with its intricate and often alien geological dance, driven by forces unique to its atmospheric and thermal conditions.

This ongoing research underscores the boundless mysteries still waiting to be uncovered on our intriguing neighbor.