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Li H, Yang X, Scuderi LA, Hu F, Liang P, Jiang Q, Buylaert JP, Wang X, Du J, Kang S, Ma Z, Wang L, Wang X. East Gobi megalake systems reveal East Asian Monsoon dynamics over the last interglacial-glacial cycle. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2103. [PMID: 37055416 PMCID: PMC10102015 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37859-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intense debate persists about the timing and magnitude of the wet phases in the East Asia deserts since the late Pleistocene. Here we show reconstructions of the paleohydrology of the East Gobi Desert since the last interglacial using satellite images and digital elevation models (DEM) combined with detailed section analyses. Paleolakes with a total area of 15,500 km2 during Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5) were identified. This expanded lake system was likely coupled to an 800-1000 km northward expansion of the humid region in East China, associated with much warmer winters. Humid climate across the Gobi Desert during MIS 5 likely resulted in a dustier MIS 4 over East Asia and the North Pacific. A second wet period characterized by an expanded, albeit smaller, lake area is dated to the mid-Holocene. Our results suggest that the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) might have been much weaker during MIS 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiaoping Yang
- Key Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Louis Anthony Scuderi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Fangen Hu
- Geographical Research Center, Yichun University, Yichun, 336000, China
| | - Peng Liang
- Key Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qida Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jan-Pieter Buylaert
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DTU-Risø Campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Xulong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jinhua Du
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Shugang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Zhibang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Lisheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
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Abstract
Data analysis methods have scarcely kept pace with the rapid increase in Earth observations, spurring the development of novel algorithms, storage methods, and computational techniques. For scientists interested in Mars, the problem is always the same: there is simultaneously never enough of the right data and an overwhelming amount of data in total. Finding sufficient data needles in a haystack to test a hypothesis requires hours of manual data screening, and more needles and hay are added constantly. To date, the vast majority of Martian research has been focused on either one-off local/regional studies or on hugely time-consuming manual global studies. Machine learning in its numerous forms can be helpful for future such work. Machine learning has the potential to help map and classify a large variety of both features and properties on the surface of Mars and to aid in the planning and execution of future missions. Here, we outline the current extent of machine learning as applied to Mars, summarize why machine learning should be an important tool for planetary geomorphology in particular, and suggest numerous research avenues and funding priorities for future efforts. We conclude that: (1) moving toward methods that require less human input (i.e., self- or semi-supervised) is an important paradigm shift for Martian applications, (2) new robust methods using generative adversarial networks to generate synthetic high-resolution digital terrain models represent an exciting new avenue for Martian geomorphologists, (3) more effort and money must be directed toward developing standardized datasets and benchmark tests, and (4) the community needs a large-scale, generalized, and programmatically accessible geographic information system (GIS).
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Zaki AS, Davis JM, Edgett KS, Giegengack R, Roige M, Conway S, Schuster M, Gupta S, Salese F, Sangwan KS, Fairén AG, Hughes CM, Pain CF, Castelltort S. Fluvial Depositional Systems of the African Humid Period: An Analog for an Early, Wet Mars in the Eastern Sahara. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2022; 127:e2021JE007087. [PMID: 35860764 PMCID: PMC9285406 DOI: 10.1029/2021je007087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A widely hypothesized but complex transition from widespread fluvial activity to predominantly aeolian processes is inferred on Mars based on remote sensing data observations of ancient landforms. However, the lack of analysis of in situ martian fluvial deposits hinders our understanding of the flow regime nature and sustainability of the martian fluvial activity and the hunt for ancient life. Studying analogs from arid zones on Earth is fundamental to quantitatively understanding geomorphic processes and climate drivers that might have dominated during early Mars. Here we investigate the formation and preservation of fluvial depositional systems in the eastern Sahara, where the largest arid region on Earth hosts important repositories of past climatic changes. The fluvial systems are composed of well-preserved single-thread sinuous to branching ridges and fan-shaped deposits interpreted as deltas. The systems' configuration and sedimentary content suggest that ephemeral rivers carved these landforms by sequential intermittent episodes of erosion and deposition active for 10-100s years over ∼10,000 years during the late Quaternary. Subsequently, these landforms were sculpted by a marginal role of rainfall and aeolian processes with minimum erosion rates of 1.1 ± 0.2 mm/yr, supplying ∼96 ± 24 × 1010 m3 of disaggregated sediment to adjacent aeolian dunes. Our results imply that similar martian fluvial systems preserving single-thread, short distance source-to-sink courses may have formed due to transient drainage networks active over short durations. Altogether, this study adds to the growing recognition of the complexity of interpreting climate history from orbital images of landforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. S. Zaki
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - J. M. Davis
- Department of Earth SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
| | | | - R. Giegengack
- Department of Earth & Environmental ScienceUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - M. Roige
- Department de GeologiaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - S. Conway
- CNRS UMR 6112 Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, Université de NantesNantesFrance
| | - M. Schuster
- Université de StrasbourgCNRSInstitut Terre et Environnement de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - S. Gupta
- Department of Earth Sciences and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - F. Salese
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC‐INTA), Torrejón de ArdozMadridSpain
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences (IRSPS)Università d’AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - K. S. Sangwan
- Department of Earth Sciences and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - A. G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC‐INTA), Torrejón de ArdozMadridSpain
- Department of AstronomyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - C. M. Hughes
- Department of GeosciencesUniversity of ArkansasFayettevilleARUSA
| | - C. F. Pain
- MED_Soil, Departamento de Cristlografía, Mineralogía y Quimica AgrícolaUniversidad de SevillaSevillaSpain
| | - S. Castelltort
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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The Large Dendritic Morphologies in the Antoniadi Crater (Mars) and Their Potential Astrobiological Significance. GEOSCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences12020053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Mars has held large amounts of running and standing water throughout its history, as evidenced by numerous morphologies attributed to rivers, outflow channels, lakes, and possibly an ocean. This work examines the crater Antoniadi located in the Syrtis Major quadrangle. Some parts of the central area of the crater exhibit giant polygonal mud cracks, typical of endured lake bottom, on top of which a dark, tens of kilometers-long network of dendritic (i.e., arborescent) morphologies emerges, at first resembling the remnant of river networks. The network, which is composed of tabular sub-units, is in relief overlying hardened mud, a puzzling feature that, in principle, could be explained as landscape inversion resulting from stronger erosion of the lake bottom compared to the endured crust of the riverine sediments. However, the polygonal mud cracks have pristine boundaries, which indicate limited erosion. Furthermore, the orientation of part of the network is the opposite of what the flow of water would entail. Further analyses indicate the similarity of the dendrites with controlled diffusion processes rather than with the river network, and the presence of morphologies incompatible with river, alluvial, or underground sapping processes, such as overlapping of branches belonging to different dendrites or growth along fault lines. An alternative explanation worth exploring due to its potential astrobiological importance is that the network is the product of ancient reef-building microbialites on the shallow Antoniadi lake, which enjoyed the fortunate presence of a heat source supplied by the Syrtis Major volcano. The comparison with the terrestrial examples and the dating of the bottom of the crater (formed at 3.8 Ga and subjected to a resurfacing event at 3.6 Ga attributed to the lacustrine drape) contribute to reinforcing (but cannot definitely prove) the scenario of microbialitic origin for dendrites. Thus, the present analysis based on the images available from the orbiters cannot be considered proof of the presence of microbialites in ancient Mars. It is concluded that the Antoniadi crater could be an interesting target for the research of past Martian life in future landing missions.
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Williams RM, Irwin RP, Noe Dobrea EZ, Howard AD, Dietrich WE, Cawley J. Inverted channel variations identified on a distal portion of a bajada in the central Atacama Desert, Chile. GEOMORPHOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 393:107925. [PMID: 34785830 PMCID: PMC8587680 DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In deserts, the interplay between occasional fluvial events and persistent aeolian erosion can form composite modern and relict surfaces, especially on the distal portion of alluvial fans. There, relief inversion of alluvial deposits by differential erosion can form longitudinal ridges. We identified two distinct ridge types formed by relief inversion on converging alluvial fans in the hyperarid Chilean Atacama Desert. Although they are co-located and similar in scale, the ridge types have different ages and formation histories that apparently correspond to minor paleoclimate variations. Gravel-armored ridges are remnants of deflated alluvial deposits with a bimodal sediment distribution (gravel and sand) dated to a minor pluvial phase at the end of the Late Pleistocene (~12 kyr). In contrast, younger (~9 kyr) sulfate-capped ridges formed during a minor arid phase with evaporite deposition in a pre-existing channel that armored the underlying deposits. Collectively, inverted channels at Salar de Llamara resulted from multiple episodes of surface overland flow and standing water spanning several thousand years. Based on ridge relief and age, the minimum long-term deflation rate is 0.1-0.2 m/kyr, driven primarily by wind erosion. This case study is an example of the equifinality concept whereby different processes lead to similar landforms. The complex history of the two ridge types can only be generally constrained in remotely sensed data. In situ observations are required to discern the specifics of the aqueous history, including the flow type, magnitude, sequence, and paleoenvironment. These findings have relevance for interpreting similar landforms on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M.E. Williams
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States of America
| | - Rossman P. Irwin
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 315, Washington, DC 20013-7012, United States of America
| | - Eldar Z. Noe Dobrea
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States of America
| | - Alan D. Howard
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States of America
| | - William E. Dietrich
- Earth & Planetary Science, University of California—Berkeley, 307 McCone Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - J.C. Cawley
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 315, Washington, DC 20013-7012, United States of America
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6
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Recognition of Sedimentary Rock Occurrences in Satellite and Aerial Images of Other Worlds—Insights from Mars. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13214296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Sedimentary rocks provide records of past surface and subsurface processes and environments. The first step in the study of the sedimentary rock record of another world is to learn to recognize their occurrences in images from instruments aboard orbiting, flyby, or aerial platforms. For two decades, Mars has been known to have sedimentary rocks; however, planet-wide identification is incomplete. Global coverage at 0.25–6 m/pixel, and observations from the Curiosity rover in Gale crater, expand the ability to recognize Martian sedimentary rocks. No longer limited to cases that are light-toned, lightly cratered, and stratified—or mimic original depositional setting (e.g., lithified deltas)—Martian sedimentary rocks include dark-toned examples, as well as rocks that are erosion-resistant enough to retain small craters as well as do lava flows. Breakdown of conglomerates, breccias, and even some mudstones, can produce a pebbly regolith that imparts a “smooth” appearance in satellite and aerial images. Context is important; sedimentary rocks remain challenging to distinguish from primary igneous rocks in some cases. Detection of ultramafic, mafic, or andesitic compositions do not dictate that a rock is igneous, and clast genesis should be considered separately from the depositional record. Mars likely has much more sedimentary rock than previously recognized.
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Davis JM, Gupta S, Balme M, Grindrod PM, Fawdon P, Dickeson ZI, Williams RM. A Diverse Array of Fluvial Depositional Systems in Arabia Terra: Evidence for mid-Noachian to Early Hesperian Rivers on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2019; 124:1913-1934. [PMID: 31598451 PMCID: PMC6774298 DOI: 10.1029/2019je005976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Branching to sinuous ridges systems, hundreds of kilometers in length and comprising layered strata, are present across much of Arabia Terra, Mars. These ridges are interpreted as depositional fluvial channels, now preserved as inverted topography. Here we use high-resolution image and topographic data sets to investigate the morphology of these depositional systems and show key examples of their relationships to associated fluvial landforms. The inverted channel systems likely comprise indurated conglomerate, sandstone, and mudstone bodies, which form a multistory channel stratigraphy. The channel systems intersect local basins and indurated sedimentary mounds, which we interpret as paleolake deposits. Some inverted channels are located within erosional valley networks, which have regional and local catchments. Inverted channels are typically found in downslope sections of valley networks, sometimes at the margins of basins, and numerous different transition morphologies are observed. These relationships indicate a complex history of erosion and deposition, possibly controlled by changes in water or sediment flux, or base-level variation. Other inverted channel systems have no clear preserved catchment, likely lost due to regional resurfacing of upland areas. Sediment may have been transported through Arabia Terra toward the dichotomy and stored in local and regional-scale basins. Regional stratigraphic relations suggest these systems were active between the mid-Noachian and early Hesperian. The morphology of these systems is supportive of an early Mars climate, which was characterized by prolonged precipitation and runoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel M. Davis
- Department of Earth SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Matthew Balme
- School of Physical SciencesThe Open UniversityBuckinghamshireUK
| | | | - Peter Fawdon
- School of Physical SciencesThe Open UniversityBuckinghamshireUK
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Thomson BJ, Buczkowski DL, Crumpler LS, Seelos KD, Fassett CI. How much of the sediment in Gale crater's central mound was fluvially transported? GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2019; 46:5092-5099. [PMID: 31359893 PMCID: PMC6662218 DOI: 10.1029/2018gl081727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The origin of the sedimentary mound within Gale crater, the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, remains enigmatic. Here we examine the total potential contribution of fluvial material by conducting a volume-based analysis. On the basis of these results, the mound can be divided into three zones: a lower, intermediate, and upper zone. The top boundary of the lowermost zone is defined by maximal contribution of water-lain sediments, which are ~13 to 20% of the total mound volume. The upper zone is defined by the elevation of the unbreached rim to the north (-2.46 km); sediments above this elevation cannot have been emplaced by flowing water. These volume balance calculations indicate that mechanisms other than flowing water are required to account for the overwhelming majority of the sediments transported into Gale crater. The most likely candidate process is settling from eolian suspension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Thomson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Larry S. Crumpler
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Baker VR, Hamilton CW, Burr DM, Gulick VC, Komatsu G, Luo W, Rice JW, Rodriguez J. Fluvial geomorphology on Earth-like planetary surfaces: A review. GEOMORPHOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2015; 245:149-182. [PMID: 29176917 PMCID: PMC5701759 DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Morphological evidence for ancient channelized flows (fluvial and fluvial-like landforms) exists on the surfaces of all of the inner planets and on some of the satellites of the Solar System. In some cases, the relevant fluid flows are related to a planetary evolution that involves the global cycling of a volatile component (water for Earth and Mars; methane for Saturn's moon Titan). In other cases, as on Mercury, Venus, Earth's moon, and Jupiter's moon Io, the flows were of highly fluid lava. The discovery, in 1972, of what are now known to be fluvial channels and valleys on Mars sparked a major controversy over the role of water in shaping the surface of that planet. The recognition of the fluvial character of these features has opened unresolved fundamental questions about the geological history of water on Mars, including the presence of an ancient ocean and the operation of a hydrological cycle during the earliest phases of planetary history. Other fundamental questions posed by fluvial and fluvial-like features on planetary bodies include the possible erosive action of large-scale outpourings of very fluid lavas, such as those that may have produced the remarkable canali forms on Venus; the ability of exotic fluids, such as methane, to create fluvial-like landforms, as observed on Saturn's moon, Titan; and the nature of sedimentation and erosion under different conditions of planetary surface gravity. Planetary fluvial geomorphology also illustrates fundamental epistemological and methodological issues, including the role of analogy in geomorphological/geological inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor R. Baker
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Christopher W. Hamilton
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Devon M. Burr
- Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996-1410, USA
| | - Virginia C. Gulick
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, MS 239-20, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Goro Komatsu
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d’Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
| | - Wei Luo
- Department of Geography, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
| | | | - J.A.P. Rodriguez
- NASA Ames Research Center, MS 239-20, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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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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