Hi, first time poster, long time lurker.

Though visible from previous orbital shots of the crater, the wind streaks in the north east portion of the crater are much more apparent and striking in the MRO image. Are these the signs of an erosional process or a depositional one? If the former, would it be worthwhile travelling to this area for the purpose of increasing the chances of a cleaning event similar to the sort that Spirit commonly experiences? If we do enter the crater, we may not always be in the best position to gather power. Thus, any actions that may lead to an increase in power should be considered even if it may require a considerable journey around the rim.

On the other hand, if this is a depositional feature Opportunity should treat it like the Van Allen Belts and fly through as quickly as possible.

Good question RT. I've spent some time staring at this new image (who hasn't?)

I believe that much of the macroscopic particle movement in this thin, low-pressure atmosphere takes place like sand and silt in the bottom of a stream carried along by water. That, is the water doesn't so much carry the material but instead bounces it along. A grain may get picked up and carried briefly, possibly only centimeters' or millimeters due to a stronger eddy, but the particle quickly drops out again, and another particle is nudged aloft. In this way the sand dunes are created and migrate across the Martian surface over a thousand-year time scale.

As these winds with their tenuous particle loads from the South encounter Victoria I believe the sudden drop over the rim causes the air currents to briefly increase in velocity carrying some grains toward the center of the crater. As the air currents slow and descend the load is deposited away from the cliffs and the air current rises. As the clean air current rises over the North rim absent any load, particle movement and erosion resume at a slightly higher rate. I believe that is why we see small dunes migrating right up to the Southern edge of the crater. On the North side the greater rate of erosion accounts for those dark streaks you commented on.

The analogy isn't exactly accurate, but think of water entering a lake behind a dam. The silt and sand load is deposited behind the dam and increased erosion takes place downstream of the dam. Victoria (in some ways) is behaving like a dam for Martian air passing over it. Actually a better analogy would be a deep hole in the bed of a stream, but you get the idea..

As for depositional concerns (which would hypothetically take place on the South rim) I wouldn't worry about Opportunity's solar panels on this time scale. The processes we are looking at are an accumulation of processes taking place over thousands or millions of years. Think of a hundred particles being deposited each year and 99 particles being moved forward. In fact due to the very fine nature of the dust on Opportunity's panels, which sit a meter above the surface, it's highly likely that net particle removal could occur for Opportunity in these nominal "depositional" zones.

I don't know...Spirit picked up dust pretty quickly once it moved into the valley, and the region near El Dorado was a prime spot for dust deposition.

I'd think that getting on one of the slopes of the near rim would be best. The wind would have come off the plains, dumped most of its dust into the center of the crater, and then be on its way to exit the crater. Note the gentle slopes on the far side, where the wind approaches the crater and flows into it, while the near rim has must steeper dropoffs.

The other option - stay on the side of Victoria that is the same as that which Opportunity was on in Endurance. Though, I think in that case, that'd mean going to the far rim.
So who knows, maybe just getting on any rim that sees a good stiff breeze would be a good idea.