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Rodriguez JAP, Wilhelm MB, Travis B, Kargel JS, Zarroca M, Berman DC, Cohen J, Baker V, Lopez A, Buckner D. Exploring the evidence of Middle Amazonian aquifer sedimentary outburst residues in a Martian chaotic terrain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17524. [PMID: 37853014 PMCID: PMC10584912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The quest for past Martian life hinges on locating surface formations linked to ancient habitability. While Mars' surface is considered to have become cryogenic ~3.7 Ga, stable subsurface aquifers persisted long after this transition. Their extensive collapse triggered megafloods ~3.4 Ga, and the resulting outflow channel excavation generated voluminous sediment eroded from the highlands. These materials are considered to have extensively covered the northern lowlands. Here, we show evidence that a lacustrine sedimentary residue within Hydraotes Chaos formed due to regional aquifer upwelling and ponding into an interior basin. Unlike the northern lowland counterparts, its sedimentary makeup likely consists of aquifer-expelled materials, offering a potential window into the nature of Mars' subsurface habitability. Furthermore, the lake's residue's estimated age is ~1.1 Ga (~3.2 Ga post-peak aquifer drainage during the Late Hesperian), enhancing the prospects for organic matter preservation. This deposit's inferred fine-grained composition, coupled with the presence of coexisting mud volcanoes and diapirs, suggest that its source aquifer existed within abundant subsurface mudstones, water ice, and evaporites, forming part of the region's extremely ancient (~ 4 Ga) highland stratigraphy. Our numerical models suggest that magmatically induced phase segregation within these materials generated enormous water-filled chambers. The meltwater, originating from varying thermally affected mudstone depths, could have potentially harbored diverse biosignatures, which could have become concentrated within the lake's sedimentary residue. Thus, we propose that Hydraotes Chaos merits priority consideration in future missions aiming to detect Martian biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA.
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Bryan Travis
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kargel
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel C Berman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Jacob Cohen
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Victor Baker
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Anthony Lopez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Denise Buckner
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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2
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Rodriguez JAP, Robertson DK, Kargel JS, Baker VR, Berman DC, Cohen J, Costard F, Komatsu G, Lopez A, Miyamoto H, Zarroca M. Evidence of an oceanic impact and megatsunami sedimentation in Chryse Planitia, Mars. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19589. [PMID: 36456647 PMCID: PMC9715952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18082-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1976, NASA's Viking 1 Lander (V1L) was the first spacecraft to operate successfully on the Martian surface. The V1L landed near the terminus of an enormous catastrophic flood channel, Maja Valles. However, instead of the expected megaflood record, its cameras imaged a boulder-strewn surface of elusive origin. We identified a 110-km-diameter impact crater (Pohl) ~ 900 km northeast of the landing site, stratigraphically positioned (a) above catastrophic flood-eroded surfaces formed ~ 3.4 Ga during a period of northern plains oceanic inundation and (b) below the younger of two previously hypothesized megatsunami deposits. These stratigraphic relationships suggest that a marine impact likely formed the crater. Our simulated impact-generated megatsunami run-ups closely match the mapped older megatsunami deposit's margins and predict fronts reaching the V1L site. The site's location along a highland-facing lobe aligned to erosional grooves supports a megatsunami origin. Our mapping also shows that Pohl's knobby rim regionally represents a broader history of megatsunami modification involving circum-oceanic glaciation and sedimentary extrusions extending beyond the recorded megatsunami emplacement in Chryse Planitia. Our findings allow that rocks and soil salts at the landing site are of marine origin, inviting the scientific reconsideration of information gathered from the first in-situ measurements on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Alexis P. Rodriguez
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Darrel K. Robertson
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Kargel
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Victor R. Baker
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XDepartment of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Daniel C. Berman
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Jacob Cohen
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Francois Costard
- grid.503243.3GEOPS-Géosciences Paris Sud, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Goro Komatsu
- grid.412451.70000 0001 2181 4941International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università D’Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
| | - Anthony Lopez
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Hideaki Miyamoto
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Systems Innovation, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656 Japan
| | - Mario Zarroca
- grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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A Martian Analogues Library (MAL) Applicable for Tianwen-1 MarSCoDe-LIBS Data Interpretation. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14122937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
China’s first Mars exploration mission, named Tianwen-1, landed on Mars on 15 May 2021. The Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) payload onboard the Zhurong rover applied the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique to acquire chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils. The quantitative interpretation of MarSCoDe-LIBS spectra needs to establish a LIBS spectral database that requires plenty of terrestrial geological standards. In this work, we selected 316 terrestrial standards including igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and ores, whose chemical compositions, rock types, and chemical weathering characteristics were comparable to those of Martian materials from previous orbital and in situ detections. These rocks were crushed, ground, and sieved into powders less than <38 μm and pressed into pellets to minimize heterogeneity at the scale of laser spot. The chemical compositions of these standards were independently measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Subsequently, the LIBS spectra of MAL standards were acquired using an established LIBS system at Shandong University (SDU-LIBS). In order to evaluate the performance of these standards in LIBS spectral interpretation, we established multivariate models using partial least squares (PLS) and least absolute shrinkage and selection (LASSO) algorithms to predict the abundance of major elements based on SDU-LIBS spectra. The root mean squared error (RMSE) values of these models are comparable to those of the published models for MarSCoDe, ChemCam, and SuperCam, suggesting these PLS and LASSO models work well. From our research, we can conclude that these 316 MAL targets are good candidates to acquire geochemistry information based on the LIBS technique. These targets could be regarded as geological standards to build a LIBS database using a prototype of MarSCoDe in the near future, which is critical to obtain accurate chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils based on MarSCoDe-LIBS spectral data.
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Li C, Zheng Y, Wang X, Zhang J, Wang Y, Chen L, Zhang L, Zhao P, Liu Y, Lv W, Liu Y, Zhao X, Hao J, Sun W, Liu X, Jia B, Li J, Lan H, Fa W, Pan Y, Wu F. Layered subsurface in Utopia Basin of Mars revealed by Zhurong rover radar. Nature 2022; 610:308-312. [PMID: 36163288 PMCID: PMC9556330 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05147-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Exploring the subsurface structure and stratification of Mars advances our understanding of Martian geology, hydrological evolution and palaeoclimatic changes, and has been a main task for past and continuing Mars exploration missions1-10. Utopia Planitia, the smooth plains of volcanic and sedimentary strata that infilled the Utopia impact crater, has been a prime target for such exploration as it is inferred to have hosted an ancient ocean on Mars11-13. However, 45 years have passed since Viking-2 provided ground-based detection results. Here we report an in situ ground-penetrating radar survey of Martian subsurface structure in a southern marginal area of Utopia Planitia conducted by the Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 mission. A detailed subsurface image profile is constructed along the roughly 1,171 m traverse of the rover, showing an approximately 70-m-thick, multi-layered structure below a less than 10-m-thick regolith. Although alternative models deserve further scrutiny, the new radar image suggests the occurrence of episodic hydraulic flooding sedimentation that is interpreted to represent the basin infilling of Utopia Planitia during the Late Hesperian to Amazonian. While no direct evidence for the existence of liquid water was found within the radar detection depth range, we cannot rule out the presence of saline ice in the subsurface of the landing area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yikang Zheng
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhai Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Chen
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.458476.c0000 0004 0605 1722State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pan Zhao
- grid.458476.c0000 0004 0605 1722State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yike Liu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenmin Lv
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinlai Hao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Sun
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bojun Jia
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haiqiang Lan
- grid.458476.c0000 0004 0605 1722State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhe Fa
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongxin Pan
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuyuan Wu
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.458476.c0000 0004 0605 1722State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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5
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Fukushi K, Sekine Y, Sakuma H, Morida K, Wordsworth R. Semiarid climate and hyposaline lake on early Mars inferred from reconstructed water chemistry at Gale. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4896. [PMID: 31653859 PMCID: PMC6814795 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12871-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Salinity, pH, and redox states are fundamental properties that characterize natural waters. These properties of surface waters on early Mars reflect palaeoenvironments, and thus provide clues on the palaeoclimate and habitability. Here we constrain these properties of pore water within lacustrine sediments of Gale Crater, Mars, using smectite interlayer compositions. Regardless of formation conditions of smectite, the pore water that last interacted with the sediments was of Na-Cl type with mild salinity (~0.1-0.5 mol/kg) and circumneutral pH. To interpret this, multiple scenarios for post-depositional alterations are considered. The estimated Na-Cl concentrations would reflect hyposaline, early lakes developed in 104-106-year-long semiarid climates. Assuming that post-depositional sulfate-rich fluids interacted with the sediments, the redox disequilibria in secondary minerals suggest infiltration of oxidizing fluids into reducing sediments. Assuming no interactions, the redox disequilibria could have been generated by interactions of upwelling groundwater with oxidized sediments in early post-depositional stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Fukushi
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
| | - Yasuhito Sekine
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sakuma
- National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koki Morida
- Division of Natural System, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Robin Wordsworth
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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6
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Surface Expressions of Subsurface Sediment Mobilization Rooted into a Gas Hydrate-Rich Cryosphere on Mars. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8603. [PMID: 31197242 PMCID: PMC6565684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45057-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on evidence for fluid circulation in the upper crust of Mars, which could create environments favorable for life and its development. We investigate the nature of the thumbprint terrains covering part of Arcadia Planitia in the Martian northern hemisphere. Our analytic procedure allowed us to (i) hypothesise a potential relationship between these thumbprint terrains and an inferred underground fracture network that extends to where the clathrate-rich cryosphere contacts with the underlying hydrosphere; (ii) support the hypothesis that these thumbprint terrains are made of fine grained loosely packed materials erupted from deep beneath the subsurface mobilized by water; and (iii) date the thumbprint terrains of Arcadia Planitia to ~370 Ma. We conclude that the study area is an area worthy of astrobiological investigation, bringing water and fine grained sediment from depth to the surface for investigation.
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7
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Rodriguez JAP, Baker VR, Liu T, Zarroca M, Travis B, Hui T, Komatsu G, Berman DC, Linares R, Sykes MV, Banks ME, Kargel JS. The 1997 Mars Pathfinder Spacecraft Landing Site: Spillover Deposits from an Early Mars Inland Sea. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4045. [PMID: 30837500 PMCID: PMC6401135 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Martian outflow channels comprise some of the largest known channels in the Solar System. Remote-sensing investigations indicate that cataclysmic floods likely excavated the channels ~3.4 Ga. Previous studies show that, in the southern circum-Chryse region, their flooding pathways include hundreds of kilometers of channel floors with upward gradients. However, the impact of the reversed channel-floor topography on the cataclysmic floods remains uncertain. Here, we show that these channel floors occur within a vast basin, which separates the downstream reaches of numerous outflow channels from the northern plains. Consequently, floods propagating through these channels must have ponded, producing an inland sea, before reaching the northern plains as enormous spillover discharges. The resulting paleohydrological reconstruction reinterprets the 1997 Pathfinder landing site as part of a marine spillway, which connected the inland sea to a hypothesized northern plains ocean. Our flood simulation shows that the presence of the sea would have permitted the propagation of low-depth floods beyond the areas of reversed channel-floor topography. These results explain the formation at the landing site of possible fluvial features indicative of flow depths at least an order of magnitude lower than those apparent from the analyses of orbital remote-sensing observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA.
| | - V R Baker
- Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - T Liu
- Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - M Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B Travis
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - T Hui
- Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - G Komatsu
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università D'Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127, Pescara, Italy
| | - D C Berman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - R Linares
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M V Sykes
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - M E Banks
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard, MD, 20771, USA
| | - J S Kargel
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
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8
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Salese F, Pondrelli M, Neeseman A, Schmidt G, Ori GG. Geological Evidence of Planet-Wide Groundwater System on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2019; 124:374-395. [PMID: 31007995 PMCID: PMC6472477 DOI: 10.1029/2018je005802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The scale of groundwater upwelling on Mars, as well as its relation to sedimentary systems, remains an ongoing debate. Several deep craters (basins) in the northern equatorial regions show compelling signs that large amounts of water once existed on Mars at a planet-wide scale. The presence of water-formed features, including fluvial Gilbert and sapping deltas fed by sapping valleys, constitute strong evidence of groundwater upwelling resulting in long term standing bodies of water inside the basins. Terrestrial field evidence shows that sapping valleys can occur in basalt bedrock and not only in unconsolidated sediments. A hypothesis that considers the elevation differences between the observed morphologies and the assumed basal groundwater level is presented and described as the "dike-confined water" model, already present on Earth and introduced for the first time in the Martian geological literature. Only the deepest basins considered in this study, those with bases deeper than -4000 m in elevation below the Mars datum, intercepted the water-saturated zone and exhibit evidence of groundwater fluctuations. The discovery of these groundwater discharge sites on a planet-wide scale strongly suggests a link between the putative Martian ocean and various configurations of sedimentary deposits that were formed as a result of groundwater fluctuations during the Hesperian period. This newly recognized evidence of water-formed features significantly increases the chance that biosignatures could be buried in the sediment. These deep basins (groundwater-fed lakes) will be of interest to future exploration missions as they might provide evidence of geological conditions suitable for life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Salese
- Faculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Monica Pondrelli
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Alicia Neeseman
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing GroupFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Gene Schmidt
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Gian Gabriele Ori
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
- Ibn Battuta CentreUniversité Cadi AyyadMarrakeshMorocco
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9
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Hargitai HI, Gulick VC, Glines NH. Paleolakes of Northeast Hellas: Precipitation, Groundwater-Fed, and Fluvial Lakes in the Navua-Hadriacus-Ausonia Region, Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1435-1459. [PMID: 30289279 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The slopes of northeastern Hellas Basin, Mars exhibit a wide variety of fluvial landforms. In addition to the Dao-Niger-Harmakhis-Reull Valles outflow channels, many smaller channels and valleys cut into this terrain, several of which include discontinuous sections. We have mapped these channels and channel-associated depressions to investigate potential paleolakes from the Navua Valles in the West, through the Hadriacus Mons volcano in the center, to the Ausonia Montes in the East. We have identified three groups of candidate paleolakes at the source regions of major drainages and a fourth paleolake type scattered along the lower reaches of these drainages. Each paleolake group has a distinct character, determined by different formative processes, including precipitation and groundwater for lakes at the channel sources, and fluvially transported water at the lower channel reaches. Only one of these 34 basins had been cataloged previously in paleolake basin databases. Several of these sites are at proximity to the Hadriacus volcanic center, where active dikes during the Hesperian could have produced hydrothermal systems and habitable environments. Deposits within these paleolake depressions and at the termini of channels connected to these candidate paleolakes contain the geological and potentially biological record of these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik I Hargitai
- 1 NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, California
- 2 Department of Media and Communication, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest, Hungary
| | - Virginia C Gulick
- 1 NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, California
- 3 SETI Institute , Mountain View, California
| | - Natalie H Glines
- 1 NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, California
- 3 SETI Institute , Mountain View, California
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10
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High-Resolution Topographic Analyses of Mounds in Southern Acidalia Planitia, Mars: Implications for Possible Mud Volcanism in Submarine and Subaerial Environments. GEOSCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8050152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Cabrol NA. The Coevolution of Life and Environment on Mars: An Ecosystem Perspective on the Robotic Exploration of Biosignatures. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1-27. [PMID: 29252008 PMCID: PMC5779243 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Earth's biological and environmental evolution are intertwined and inseparable. This coevolution has become a fundamental concept in astrobiology and is key to the search for life beyond our planet. In the case of Mars, whether a coevolution took place is unknown, but analyzing the factors at play shows the uniqueness of each planetary experiment regardless of similarities. Early Earth and early Mars shared traits. However, biological processes on Mars, if any, would have had to proceed within the distinctive context of an irreversible atmospheric collapse, greater climate variability, and specific planetary characteristics. In that, Mars is an important test bed for comparing the effects of a unique set of spatiotemporal changes on an Earth-like, yet different, planet. Many questions remain unanswered about Mars' early environment. Nevertheless, existing data sets provide a foundation for an intellectual framework where notional coevolution models can be explored. In this framework, the focus is shifted from planetary-scale habitability to the prospect of habitats, microbial ecotones, pathways to biological dispersal, biomass repositories, and their meaning for exploration. Critically, as we search for biosignatures, this focus demonstrates the importance of starting to think of early Mars as a biosphere and vigorously integrating an ecosystem approach to landing site selection and exploration. Key Words: Astrobiology-Biosignatures-Coevolution of Earth and life-Mars. Astrobiology 18, 1-27.
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Oehler DZ, Etiope G. Methane Seepage on Mars: Where to Look and Why. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:1233-1264. [PMID: 28771029 PMCID: PMC5730060 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Methane on Mars is a topic of special interest because of its potential association with microbial life. The variable detections of methane by the Curiosity rover, orbiters, and terrestrial telescopes, coupled with methane's short lifetime in the martian atmosphere, may imply an active gas source in the planet's subsurface, with migration and surface emission processes similar to those known on Earth as "gas seepage." Here, we review the variety of subsurface processes that could result in methane seepage on Mars. Such methane could originate from abiotic chemical reactions, thermogenic alteration of abiotic or biotic organic matter, and ancient or extant microbial metabolism. These processes can occur over a wide range of temperatures, in both sedimentary and igneous rocks, and together they enhance the possibility that significant amounts of methane could have formed on early Mars. Methane seepage to the surface would occur preferentially along faults and fractures, through focused macro-seeps and/or diffuse microseepage exhalations. Our work highlights the types of features on Mars that could be associated with methane release, including mud-volcano-like mounds in Acidalia or Utopia; proposed ancient springs in Gusev Crater, Arabia Terra, and Valles Marineris; and rims of large impact craters. These could have been locations of past macro-seeps and may still emit methane today. Microseepage could occur through faults along the dichotomy or fractures such as those at Nili Fossae, Cerberus Fossae, the Argyre impact, and those produced in serpentinized rocks. Martian microseepage would be extremely difficult to detect remotely yet could constitute a significant gas source. We emphasize that the most definitive detection of methane seepage from different release candidates would be best provided by measurements performed in the ground or at the ground-atmosphere interface by landers or rovers and that the technology for such detection is currently available. Key Words: Mars-Methane-Seepage-Clathrate-Fischer-Tropsch-Serpentinization. Astrobiology 17, 1233-1264.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuseppe Etiope
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma 2, Roma, Italy, and Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Rodriguez JAP, Fairén AG, Tanaka KL, Zarroca M, Linares R, Platz T, Komatsu G, Miyamoto H, Kargel JS, Yan J, Gulick V, Higuchi K, Baker VR, Glines N. Tsunami waves extensively resurfaced the shorelines of an early Martian ocean. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25106. [PMID: 27196957 PMCID: PMC4872529 DOI: 10.1038/srep25106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that ~3.4 billion years ago an ocean fed by enormous catastrophic floods covered most of the Martian northern lowlands. However, a persistent problem with this hypothesis is the lack of definitive paleoshoreline features. Here, based on geomorphic and thermal image mapping in the circum-Chryse and northwestern Arabia Terra regions of the northern plains, in combination with numerical analyses, we show evidence for two enormous tsunami events possibly triggered by bolide impacts, resulting in craters ~30 km in diameter and occurring perhaps a few million years apart. The tsunamis produced widespread littoral landforms, including run-up water-ice-rich and bouldery lobes, which extended tens to hundreds of kilometers over gently sloping plains and boundary cratered highlands, as well as backwash channels where wave retreat occurred on highland-boundary surfaces. The ice-rich lobes formed in association with the younger tsunami, showing that their emplacement took place following a transition into a colder global climatic regime that occurred after the older tsunami event. We conclude that, on early Mars, tsunamis played a major role in generating and resurfacing coastal terrains.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid 28850, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kenneth L Tanaka
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rogelio Linares
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas Platz
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA.,Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - Goro Komatsu
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d'Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
| | | | - Jeffrey S Kargel
- Department of Hydrology &Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Jianguo Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Virginia Gulick
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Kana Higuchi
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid 28850, Spain
| | - Victor R Baker
- Department of Hydrology &Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Natalie Glines
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
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Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form, and why did they drain so rapidly? Sci Rep 2015; 5:13404. [PMID: 26346067 PMCID: PMC4562069 DOI: 10.1038/srep13404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Catastrophic floods generated ~3.2 Ga by rapid groundwater evacuation scoured the Solar System’s most voluminous channels, the southern circum-Chryse outflow channels. Based on Viking Orbiter data analysis, it was hypothesized that these outflows emanated from a global Hesperian cryosphere-confined aquifer that was infused by south polar meltwater infiltration into the planet’s upper crust. In this model, the outflow channels formed along zones of superlithostatic pressure generated by pronounced elevation differences around the Highland-Lowland Dichotomy Boundary. However, the restricted geographic location of the channels indicates that these conditions were not uniform Boundary. Furthermore, some outflow channel sources are too high to have been fed by south polar basal melting. Using more recent mission data, we argue that during the Late Noachian fluvial and glacial sediments were deposited into a clastic wedge within a paleo-basin located in the southern circum-Chryse region, which was then completely submerged under a primordial northern plains ocean. Subsequent Late Hesperian outflow channels were sourced from within these geologic materials and formed by gigantic groundwater outbursts driven by an elevated hydraulic head from the Valles Marineris region. Thus, our findings link the formation of the southern circum-Chryse outflow channels to ancient marine, glacial, and fluvial erosion and sedimentation.
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Oehler DZ, Allen CC. Giant polygons and mounds in the lowlands of Mars: signatures of an ancient ocean? ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:601-615. [PMID: 22731685 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the hypothesis that the well-known giant polygons and bright mounds of the martian lowlands may be related to a common process-a process of fluid expulsion that results from burial of fine-grained sediments beneath a body of water. Specifically, we hypothesize that giant polygons and mounds in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae are analogous to kilometer-scale polygons and mud volcanoes in terrestrial, marine basins and that the co-occurrence of masses of these features in Chryse and Acidalia may be the signature of sedimentary processes in an ancient martian ocean. We base this hypothesis on recent data from both Earth and Mars. On Earth, 3-D seismic data illustrate kilometer-scale polygons that may be analogous to the giant polygons on Mars. The terrestrial polygons form in fine-grained sediments that have been deposited and buried in passive-margin, marine settings. These polygons are thought to result from compaction/dewatering, and they are commonly associated with fluid expulsion features, such as mud volcanoes. On Mars, in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae, orbital data demonstrate that giant polygons and mounds have overlapping spatial distributions. There, each set of features occurs within a geological setting that is seemingly analogous to that of the terrestrial, kilometer-scale polygons (broad basin of deposition, predicted fine-grained sediments, and lack of significant horizontal stress). Regionally, the martian polygons and mounds both show a correlation to elevation, as if their formation were related to past water levels. Although these observations are based on older data with incomplete coverage, a similar correlation to elevation has been established in one local area studied in detail with newer higher-resolution data. Further mapping with the latest data sets should more clearly elucidate the relationship(s) of the polygons and mounds to elevation over the entire Chryse-Acidalia region and thereby provide more insight into this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Z Oehler
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, USA.
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Kereszturi A. Review of wet environment types on Mars with focus on duration and volumetric issues. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:586-600. [PMID: 22794300 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The astrobiological significance of certain environment types on Mars strongly depends on the temperature, duration, and chemistry of liquid water that was present there in the past. Recent works have focused on the identification of signs of ancient water on Mars, as it is more difficult to estimate the above-mentioned parameters. In this paper, two important factors are reviewed, the duration and the volume of water at different environment types on past and present Mars. Using currently available information, we can only roughly estimate these values, but as environment types show characteristic differences in this respect, it is worth comparing them and the result may have importance for research in astrobiology. Impact-induced and geothermal hydrothermal systems, lakes, and valley networks were in existence on Mars over the course of from 10(2) to 10(6) years, although they would have experienced substantially different temperature regimes. Ancient oceans, as well as water in outflow channels and gullies, and at the microscopic scale as interfacial water layers, would have had inherently different times of duration and overall volume: oceans may have endured from 10(4) to 10(6) years, while interfacial water would have had the smallest volume and residence time of liquid phase on Mars. Martian wet environments with longer residence times of liquid water are believed to have existed for that amount of time necessary for life to develop on Earth between the Late Heavy Bombardment and the age of the earliest fossil record. The results of this review show the necessity for more detailed analysis of conditions within geothermal heat-induced systems to reconstruct the conditions during weathering and mineral alteration, as well as to search for signs of reoccurring wet periods in ancient crater lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akos Kereszturi
- Konkoly Thege Miklos Astronomical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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Howard AD, Moore JM. Late Hesperian to early Amazonian midlatitude Martian valleys: Evidence from Newton and Gorgonum basins. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wray JJ, Milliken RE, Dundas CM, Swayze GA, Andrews-Hanna JC, Baldridge AM, Chojnacki M, Bishop JL, Ehlmann BL, Murchie SL, Clark RN, Seelos FP, Tornabene LL, Squyres SW. Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Salvatore MR, Mustard JF, Wyatt MB, Murchie SL. Definitive evidence of Hesperian basalt in Acidalia and Chryse planitiae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Carter J, Poulet F, Bibring JP, Murchie S. Detection of hydrated silicates in crustal outcrops in the northern plains of Mars. Science 2010; 328:1682-6. [PMID: 20576889 DOI: 10.1126/science.1189013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The composition of the ancient martian crust is a key ingredient in deciphering the environment and evolution of early Mars. We present an analysis of the composition of large craters in the martian northern plains based on data from spaceborne imaging spectrometers. Nine of the craters have excavated assemblages of phyllosilicates from ancient, Noachian crust buried beneath the plains' cover. The phyllosilicates are indistinguishable from those exposed in widespread locations in the southern highlands, demonstrating that liquid water once altered both hemispheres of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Carter
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), CNRS/Université Paris XI, 91405 Orsay, France.
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21
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Ivanov MA, Korteniemi J, Kostama VP, Raitala J, Törmänen T, Neukum G. Major episodes in the geologic history of western Promethei Terra, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kadish SJ, Barlow NG, Head JW. Latitude dependence of Martian pedestal craters: Evidence for a sublimation-driven formation mechanism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seth J. Kadish
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - Nadine G. Barlow
- Department of Physics and Astronomy; Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - James W. Head
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
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Morgenstern A, Hauber E, Reiss D, van Gasselt S, Grosse G, Schirrmeister L. Deposition and degradation of a volatile-rich layer in Utopia Planitia and implications for climate history on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Watters TR, Leuschen CJ, Plaut JJ, Picardi G, Safaeinili A, Clifford SM, Farrell WM, Ivanov AB, Phillips RJ, Stofan ER. MARSIS radar sounder evidence of buried basins in the northern lowlands of Mars. Nature 2006; 444:905-8. [PMID: 17167480 DOI: 10.1038/nature05356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2006] [Accepted: 10/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A hemispheric dichotomy on Mars is marked by the sharp contrast between the sparsely cratered northern lowland plains and the heavily cratered southern highlands. Mechanisms proposed to remove ancient crust or form younger lowland crust include one or more giant impacts, subcrustal transport by mantle convection, the generation of thinner crust by plate tectonics, and mantle overturn following solidification of an early magma ocean. The age of the northern lowland crust is a significant constraint on these models. The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is providing new constraints on the martian subsurface. Here we show evidence of buried impact basins ranging in diameter from about 130 km to 470 km found over approximately 14 per cent of the northern lowlands. The number of detected buried basins >200 km in diameter indicates that the lowland crust is ancient, dating back to the Early Noachian epoch. This crater density is a lower limit because of the likelihood that not all buried basins in the area surveyed by MARSIS have been detected. An Early Noachian age for the lowland crust has been previously suggested on the basis of a large number of quasi-circular topographic depressions interpreted to be evidence of buried basins. Only a few of these depressions in the area surveyed by MARSIS, however, correlate with the detected subsurface echoes. On the basis of the MARSIS data, we conclude that the northern lowland crust is at least as old as the oldest exposed highland crust. This suggests that the crustal dichotomy formed early in the geologic evolution of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Watters
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA.
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Hanna JC, Phillips RJ. Tectonic pressurization of aquifers in the formation of Mangala and Athabasca Valles, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Ivanov MA, Head JW. Alba Patera, Mars: Topography, structure, and evolution of a unique late Hesperian–early Amazonian shield volcano. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Boyce JM, Mouginis-Mark P, Garbeil H. Ancient oceans in the northern lowlands of Mars: Evidence from impact crater depth/diameter relationships. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Boyce
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu Hawaii USA
| | - Peter Mouginis-Mark
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu Hawaii USA
| | - Harold Garbeil
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu Hawaii USA
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Kleinhans MG. Flow discharge and sediment transport models for estimating a minimum timescale of hydrological activity and channel and delta formation on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Howard AD, Moore JM, Irwin RP. An intense terminal epoch of widespread fluvial activity on early Mars: 1. Valley network incision and associated deposits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Leverington DW. Differential subsidence and rebound in response to changes in water loading on Mars: Possible effects on the geometry of ancient shorelines. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2003je002141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wilson L. Mars outflow channels: A reappraisal of the estimation of water flow velocities from water depths, regional slopes, and channel floor properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Tanaka KL, Carr MH, Skinner JA, Gilmore MS, Hare TM. Geology of the MER 2003 “Elysium” candidate landing site in southeastern Utopia Planitia, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2003je002054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Martha S. Gilmore
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Wesleyan University; Middletown Connecticut USA
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Montési LGJ. Clues to the lithospheric structure of Mars from wrinkle ridge sets and localization instability. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Russell PS. Elysium-Utopia flows as mega-lahars: A model of dike intrusion, cryosphere cracking, and water-sediment release. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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36
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Ivanov MA. Syrtis Major and Isidis Basin contact: Morphological and topographic characteristics of Syrtis Major lava flows and material of the Vastitas Borealis Formation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Ruiz J. Amplitude of heat flow variations on Mars from possible shoreline topography. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2003je002084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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38
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Carr MH. Oceans on Mars: An assessment of the observational evidence and possible fate. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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39
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Fuller ER. Amazonis Planitia: The role of geologically recent volcanism and sedimentation in the formation of the smoothest plains on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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