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Qin X, Ren X, Wang X, Liu J, Wu H, Zeng X, Sun Y, Chen Z, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Chen W, Liu B, Liu D, Guo L, Li K, Zeng X, Huang H, Zhang Q, Yu S, Li C, Guo Z. Modern water at low latitudes on Mars: Potential evidence from dune surfaces. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd8868. [PMID: 37115933 PMCID: PMC10146874 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Landforms on the Martian surface are critical to understanding the nature of surface processes in the recent past. However, modern hydroclimatic conditions on Mars remain enigmatic, as explanations for the formation of observed landforms are ambiguous. We report crusts, cracks, aggregates, and bright polygonal ridges on the surfaces of hydrated salt-rich dunes of southern Utopia Planitia (~25°N) from in situ exploration by the Zhurong rover. These surface features were inferred to form after 1.4 to 0.4 million years ago. Wind and CO2 frost processes can be ruled out as potential mechanisms. Instead, involvement of saline water from thawed frost/snow is the most likely cause. This discovery sheds light on more humid conditions of the modern Martian climate and provides critical clues to future exploration missions searching for signs of extant life, particularly at low latitudes with comparatively warmer, more amenable surface temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Haibin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingguo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Sun
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaopeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shihao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yizhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wangli Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kangkang Li
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangzhao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Songzheng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlai Li
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengtang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Lowe DR, Bishop JL, Loizeau D, Wray JJ, Beyer RA. Deposition of >3.7 Ga clay-rich strata of the Mawrth Vallis Group, Mars, in lacustrine, alluvial, and aeolian environments. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN 2019; 132:17-30. [PMID: 33958812 PMCID: PMC8098079 DOI: 10.1130/b35185.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The presence of abundant phyllosilicate minerals in Noachian (>3.7 Ga) rocks on Mars has been taken as evidence that liquid water was stable at or near the surface early in martian history. This study investigates some of these clay-rich strata exposed in crater rim and inverted terrain settings in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars. In Muara crater the 200-m-thick, clay-rich Mawrth Vallis Group (MVG) is subdivided into five informal units numbered 1 (base) to 5 (top). Unit 1 consists of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic or volcaniclastic units showing weak Fe/Mg-smectite alteration deposited in a range of subaerial depositional settings. Above a major unconformity eroded on Unit 1, the dark-toned sediments of Unit 2 and lower Unit 3 are inferred to represent mainly wind-blown sand. These are widely interlayered with and draped by thin layers of light-toned sediment representing fine suspended-load aeolian silt and clay. These sediments show extensive Fe/Mg-smectite alteration, probably reflecting subaerial weathering. Upper Unit 3 and units 4 and 5 are composed of well-layered, fine-grained sediment dominated by Al-phyllosilicates, kaolinite, and hydrated silica. Deposition occurred in a large lake or arm of a martian sea. In the inverted terrain 100 km to the NE, Unit 4 shows very young slope failures suggesting that the clay-rich sediments today retain a significant component of water ice. The MVG provides evidence for the presence of large, persistent standing bodies of water on early Mars as well as a complex association of flanking shoreline, alluvial, and aeolian systems. Some of the clays, especially the Fe/Mg smectites in upper units 1 and 2 appear to have formed through subaerial weathering whereas the aluminosilicates, kaolinite, and hydrated silica of units 3, 4, and 5 formed mainly through alteration of fine sediment in subaqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald R. Lowe
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA
| | - Janice L. Bishop
- SETI & NASA-Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Damien Loizeau
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - James J. Wray
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0340, USA
| | - Ross A. Beyer
- SETI & NASA-Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
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Lousada M, Pina P, Vieira G, Bandeira L, Mora C. Evaluation of the use of very high resolution aerial imagery for accurate ice-wedge polygon mapping (Adventdalen, Svalbard). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 615:1574-1583. [PMID: 28954702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to verify the accuracy of delineating and characterizing ice-wedge polygonal networks with features exclusively extracted from remotely sensed images of very high resolution. This kind of mapping plays a key role for quantifying ice-wedge degradation in warming permafrost. The evaluation of mapping a network is performed in this study with two sets of aerial images that are compared to ground reference data determined by fieldwork on the same network, located in Adventdalen, Svalbard (78°N). One aerial dataset is obtained from a photogrammetric survey with RGB+NIR imagery of 20cm/pixel, the other from an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) survey that acquired RGB images of 6cm/pixel of spatial resolution. Besides evaluating the degree of matching between the delineations, the morphometric and topological features computed for the differently mapped versions of the network are also confronted, to have a more solid basis of comparison. The results obtained are similar enough to admit that remotely sensed images of very high resolution are an adequate support to provide extensive characterizations and classifications of this kind of patterned ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Lousada
- CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Pina
- CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Gonçalo Vieira
- CEG, Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lourenço Bandeira
- CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carla Mora
- CEG, Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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4
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Lapalme CM, Lacelle D, Pollard W, Fortier D, Davila A, McKay CP. Cryostratigraphy and the sublimation unconformity in permafrost from an ultraxerous environment, University Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES 2017; 28:649-662. [PMID: 32713998 PMCID: PMC7380095 DOI: 10.1002/ppp.1948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The cryostratigraphy of permafrost in ultraxerous environments is poorly known. In this study, icy permafrost cores from University Valley (McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica) were analyzed for sediment properties, ground-ice content, types and distribution of cryostructures and presence of unconformities. No active layer exists in the valley, but the ice table, a sublimation unconformity, ranges from 0 to 60 cm depth. The sediments are characterized as a medium sand, which classifies them as low to non-frost susceptible. CT scan images of the icy permafrost cores revealed composite cryostructures that included the structureless, porous visible, suspended and crustal types. These cryostructures were observed irrespective of ground-ice origin (vapour deposited and freezing of snow meltwater), suggesting that the type and distribution of cryostructures could not be used as a proxy to infer the mode of emplacement of ground ice. Volumetric ice content derived from the CT scan images underestimated measured volumetric ice content, but approached measured excess ice content. A paleo-sublimation unconformity could not be detected from a change in cryostructures, but could be inferred from an increase in ice content at the maximum predicted ice table depth. This study highlights some of the unique ground ice processes and cryostructures in ultraxerous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Lapalme
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Denis Lacelle
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Wayne Pollard
- Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Fortier
- Département de Géographie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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5
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Cracks in Martian boulders exhibit preferred orientations that point to solar-induced thermal stress. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6712. [PMID: 25813699 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The origins of fractures in Martian boulders are unknown. Here, using Mars Exploration Rover 3D data products, we obtain orientation measurements for 1,857 cracks visible in 1,573 rocks along the Spirit traverse and find that Mars rock cracks are oriented in statistically preferred directions similar to those compiled herein for Earth rock cracks found in mid-latitude deserts. We suggest that Martian directional cracking occurs due to the preferential propagation of microfractures favourably oriented with respect to repeating geometries of diurnal peaks in sun-induced thermal stresses. A numerical model modified here with Mars parameters supports this hypothesis both with respect to the overall magnitude of stresses as well as to the times of day at which the stresses peak. These data provide the first direct field and numerical evidence that insolation-related thermal stress potentially plays a principle role in cracking rocks on portions of the Martian surface.
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6
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Rummel JD, Beaty DW, Jones MA, Bakermans C, Barlow NG, Boston PJ, Chevrier VF, Clark BC, de Vera JPP, Gough RV, Hallsworth JE, Head JW, Hipkin VJ, Kieft TL, McEwen AS, Mellon MT, Mikucki JA, Nicholson WL, Omelon CR, Peterson R, Roden EE, Sherwood Lollar B, Tanaka KL, Viola D, Wray JJ. A new analysis of Mars "Special Regions": findings of the second MEPAG Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2). ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:887-968. [PMID: 25401393 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A committee of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) has reviewed and updated the description of Special Regions on Mars as places where terrestrial organisms might replicate (per the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy). This review and update was conducted by an international team (SR-SAG2) drawn from both the biological science and Mars exploration communities, focused on understanding when and where Special Regions could occur. The study applied recently available data about martian environments and about terrestrial organisms, building on a previous analysis of Mars Special Regions (2006) undertaken by a similar team. Since then, a new body of highly relevant information has been generated from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (launched in 2005) and Phoenix (2007) and data from Mars Express and the twin Mars Exploration Rovers (all 2003). Results have also been gleaned from the Mars Science Laboratory (launched in 2011). In addition to Mars data, there is a considerable body of new data regarding the known environmental limits to life on Earth-including the potential for terrestrial microbial life to survive and replicate under martian environmental conditions. The SR-SAG2 analysis has included an examination of new Mars models relevant to natural environmental variation in water activity and temperature; a review and reconsideration of the current parameters used to define Special Regions; and updated maps and descriptions of the martian environments recommended for treatment as "Uncertain" or "Special" as natural features or those potentially formed by the influence of future landed spacecraft. Significant changes in our knowledge of the capabilities of terrestrial organisms and the existence of possibly habitable martian environments have led to a new appreciation of where Mars Special Regions may be identified and protected. The SR-SAG also considered the impact of Special Regions on potential future human missions to Mars, both as locations of potential resources and as places that should not be inadvertently contaminated by human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Rummel
- 1 Department of Biology, East Carolina University , Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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7
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Heldmann JL, Schurmeier L, McKay C, Davila A, Stoker C, Marinova M, Wilhelm MB. Midlatitude ice-rich ground on mars as a target in the search for evidence of life and for in situ resource utilization on human missions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:102-118. [PMID: 24506507 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Midlatitude ground ice on Mars is of significant scientific interest for understanding the history and evolution of ice stability on Mars and is relevant for human exploration as a possible in situ resource. For both science and exploration, assessing the astrobiological potential of the ice is important in terms of (1) understanding the potential for life on Mars and (2) evaluating the presence of possible biohazards in advance of human exploration. In the present study, we review the evidence for midlatitude ground ice on Mars, discuss the possible explanations for its occurrence, and assess its potential habitability. During the course of study, we systematically analyzed remote-sensing data sets to determine whether a viable landing site exists in the northern midlatitudes to enable a robotic mission that conducts in situ characterization and searches for evidence of life in the ice. We classified each site according to (1) presence of polygons as a proxy for subsurface ice, (2) presence and abundance of rough topographic obstacles (e.g., large cracks, cliffs, uneven topography), (3) rock density, (4) presence and abundance of large boulders, and (5) presence of craters. We found that a suitable landing site exists within Amazonis Planitia near ground ice that was recently excavated by a meteorite impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Heldmann
- 1 NASA Ames Research Center , Division of Space Sciences and Astrobiology, Moffett Field, California
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8
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Ryan AJ, Christensen PR. Coils and Polygonal Crust in the Athabasca Valles Region, Mars, as Evidence for a Volcanic History. Science 2012; 336:449-52. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1219437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Ryan
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Philip R. Christensen
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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9
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Portyankina G, Pommerol A, Aye KM, Hansen CJ, Thomas N. Polygonal cracks in the seasonal semi-translucent CO2ice layer in Martian polar areas. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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10
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El Maarry MR, Markiewicz WJ, Mellon MT, Goetz W, Dohm JM, Pack A. Crater floor polygons: Desiccation patterns of ancient lakes on Mars? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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11
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Furgale P, Barfoot TD, Ghafoor N, Williams K, Osinski G. Field Testing of an Integrated Surface/Subsurface Modeling Technique for Planetary Exploration. Int J Rob Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1177/0278364910378179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While there has been much interest in developing ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology for rover-based planetary exploration, relatively little work has been done on the data collection process. Starting from the manual method, we fully automate GPR data collection using only sensors typically found on a rover. Further, we produce two novel data products: (1) a three-dimensional, photorealistic surface model coupled with a ribbon of GPR data, and (2) a two-dimensional, topography-corrected GPR radargram with the surface topography plotted above. Each result is derived from only the onboard sensors of the rover, as would be required in a planetary exploration setting. These techniques were tested using data collected in a Mars analogue environment on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic. GPR transects were gathered over polygonal patterned ground similar to that seen on Mars by the Phoenix Lander. Using the techniques developed here, scientists may remotely explore the interaction of the surface topography and subsurface structure as if they were on site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Furgale
- University of Toronto, Institute of Aerospace Studies, Toronto, Canada,
| | - Timothy D Barfoot
- University of Toronto, Institute of Aerospace Studies, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Kevin Williams
- Buffalo State College, Department of Earth Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Gordon Osinski
- University of Western Ontario, Departments of Earth Science, Physics and Astronomy, London, Canada
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12
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A multi-layer approach for the analysis of neighbourhood relations of polygons in remotely acquired images. Pattern Recognit Lett 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.patrec.2010.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Mellon MT, Malin MC, Arvidson RE, Searls ML, Sizemore HG, Heet TL, Lemmon MT, Keller HU, Marshall J. The periglacial landscape at the Phoenix landing site. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Lefort A, Russell PS, Thomas N, McEwen AS, Dundas CM, Kirk RL. Observations of periglacial landforms in Utopia Planitia with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Zent AP, Hecht MH, Cobos DR, Campbell GS, Campbell CS, Cardell G, Foote MC, Wood SE, Mehta M. Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) for Phoenix. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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16
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Levy J, Head J, Marchant D. Thermal contraction crack polygons on Mars: Classification, distribution, and climate implications from HiRISE observations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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17
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Banks ME, McEwen AS, Kargel JS, Baker VR, Strom RG, Mellon MT, Gulick VC, Keszthelyi L, Herkenhoff KE, Pelletier JD, Jaeger WL. High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) observations of glacial and periglacial morphologies in the circum-Argyre Planitia highlands, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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18
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Mellon MT, Arvidson RE, Marlow JJ, Phillips RJ, Asphaug E. Periglacial landforms at the Phoenix landing site and the northern plains of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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19
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McEwen AS, Hansen CJ, Delamere WA, Eliason EM, Herkenhoff KE, Keszthelyi L, Gulick VC, Kirk RL, Mellon MT, Grant JA, Thomas N, Weitz CM, Squyres SW, Bridges NT, Murchie SL, Seelos F, Seelos K, Okubo CH, Milazzo MP, Tornabene LL, Jaeger WL, Byrne S, Russell PS, Griffes JL, Martínez-Alonso S, Davatzes A, Chuang FC, Thomson BJ, Fishbaugh KE, Dundas CM, Kolb KJ, Banks ME, Wray JJ. A Closer Look at Water-Related Geologic Activity on Mars. Science 2007; 317:1706-9. [PMID: 17885125 DOI: 10.1126/science.1143987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Water has supposedly marked the surface of Mars and produced characteristic landforms. To understand the history of water on Mars, we take a close look at key locations with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reaching fine spatial scales of 25 to 32 centimeters per pixel. Boulders ranging up to approximately 2 meters in diameter are ubiquitous in the middle to high latitudes, which include deposits previously interpreted as finegrained ocean sediments or dusty snow. Bright gully deposits identify six locations with very recent activity, but these lie on steep (20 degrees to 35 degrees) slopes where dry mass wasting could occur. Thus, we cannot confirm the reality of ancient oceans or water in active gullies but do see evidence of fluvial modification of geologically recent mid-latitude gullies and equatorial impact craters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S McEwen
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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20
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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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21
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Goehring L, Morris SW, Lin Z. Experimental investigation of the scaling of columnar joints. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2006; 74:036115. [PMID: 17025716 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.74.036115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Columnar jointing is a fracture pattern common in igneous rocks in which cracks self-organize into a roughly hexagonal arrangement, leaving behind an ordered colonnade. We report observations of columnar jointing in a laboratory analog system, desiccated corn starch slurries. Using measurements of moisture density, evaporation rates, and fracture advance rates as evidence, we suggest that an advective-diffusive system is responsible for the rough scaling behavior of columnar joints. This theory explains the order of magnitude difference in scales between jointing in lavas and in starches. We investigated the scaling of average columnar cross-sectional areas due to the evaporation rate, the analog of the cooling rate of igneous columnar joints. We measured column areas in experiments where the evaporation rate depended on lamp height and time, in experiments where the evaporation rate was fixed using feedback methods, and in experiments where gelatin was added to vary the rheology of the starch. Our results suggest that the column area at a particular depth is related to both the current conditions, and hysteretically to the geometry of the pattern at previous depths. We argue that there exists a range of stable column scales allowed for any particular evaporation rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Goehring
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto 60 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A7.
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van Gasselt S, Reiss D, Thorpe AK, Neukum G. Seasonal variations of polygonal thermal contraction crack patterns in a south polar trough, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. van Gasselt
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - D. Reiss
- Institute of Planetary Research; German Aerospace Center; Berlin Germany
| | | | - G. Neukum
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
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24
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Mangold N. Spatial relationships between patterned ground and ground ice detected by the Neutron Spectrometer on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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25
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Sletten RS. Resurfacing time of terrestrial surfaces by the formation and maturation of polygonal patterned ground. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Jakosky BM, Mellon MT. High-resolution thermal inertia mapping of Mars: Sites of exobiological interest. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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27
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28
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Lane MD, Christensen PR. Convection in a catastrophic flood deposit as the mechanism for the giant polygons on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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29
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Thomas PC, Malin MC, Edgett KS, Carr MH, Hartmann WK, Ingersoll AP, James PB, Soderblom LA, Veverka J, Sullivan R. North-south geological differences between the residual polar caps on Mars. Nature 2000; 404:161-4. [PMID: 10724162 DOI: 10.1038/35004528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Polar processes can be sensitive indicators of global climate, and the geological features associated with polar ice caps can therefore indicate evolution of climate with time. The polar regions on Mars have distinctive morphologic and climatologic features: thick layered deposits, seasonal CO2 frost caps extending to mid latitudes, and near-polar residual frost deposits that survive the summer. The relationship of the seasonal and residual frost caps to the layered deposits has been poorly constrained, mainly by the limited spatial resolution of the available data. In particular, it has not been known if the residual caps represent simple thin frost cover or substantial geologic features. Here we show that the residual cap on the south pole is a distinct geologic unit with striking collapse and erosional topography; this is very different from the residual cap on the north pole, which grades into the underlying layered materials. These findings indicate that the differences between the caps are substantial (rather than reflecting short-lived differences in frost cover), and so support the idea of long-term asymmetry in the polar climates of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Thomas
- Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
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