A new analysis of data collected over time by spacecraft monitoring Mars shows that most of the two million dark “slope holes” on Mars are formed by seasonal processes of wind-driven dust, and not by seismic impacts.
Scientists have debated the origin of these sinkholes for fifty years, initially hypothesizing that they were the result of melting ice or landslides triggered by meteorites, but recent research shows that almost all new sinkholes appear without the involvement of water or major seismic disturbances, reports
The dynamics of dust set in motion by the wind
The most recent study analyzed about 2.1 million landslides recorded between 2006 and 2024, concluding that seasonal winds strong enough to mobilize dust are responsible for triggering most landslides.
The researchers found that only a tiny fraction of the dikes (less than 0.1%) are associated with meteorite impacts or Martian earthquakes, overturning previous assumptions about their global importance.
Five key zones and a hard-to-spot formation
Dirts are concentrated in five main regions where wind speeds frequently exceed dust-displacement thresholds, allowing small surface instabilities to develop into extensive landslides on steep slopes.
These events most likely occur at sunrise and sunset, which explains why they have so rarely been observed directly, despite decades of advanced orbital monitoring.
A planetary dust engine
With approximately 80,000 new dust formed each year, the phenomenon may represent the single most important contributor to Martian atmospheric dust, influencing weather cycles and future human exploration.
