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Dickson JL, Palumbo AM, Head JW, Kerber L, Fassett CI, Kreslavsky MA. Gullies on Mars could have formed by melting of water ice during periods of high obliquity. Science 2023; 380:1363-1367. [PMID: 37384686 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk2464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Gullies on Mars resemble water-carved channels on Earth, but they are mostly at elevations where liquid water is not expected under current climate conditions. It has been suggested that sublimation of carbon dioxide ice alone could have formed Martian gullies. We used a general circulation model to show that the highest-elevation Martian gullies coincide with the boundary of terrain that experienced pressures above the triple point of water when Mars' rotational axis tilt reached 35°. Those conditions have occurred repeatedly over the past several million years, most recently ~630,000 years ago. Surface water ice, if present at these locations, could have melted when temperatures rose >273 kelvin. We propose a dual gully formation scenario that is driven by melting of water ice followed by carbon dioxide ice sublimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Dickson
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - A M Palumbo
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - J W Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - L Kerber
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - C I Fassett
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - M A Kreslavsky
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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2
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Understanding redox processes during iron precipitation in standing water: implications in formation of iron oxides minerals in the terrestrial planetary environment (especially Mars). PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s43538-022-00092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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3
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Dundas CM, Becerra P, Byrne S, Chojnacki M, Daubar IJ, Diniega S, Hansen CJ, Herkenhoff KE, Landis ME, McEwen AS, Portyankina G, Valantinas A. Active Mars: A Dynamic World. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2021; 126:e2021JE006876. [PMID: 35845553 PMCID: PMC9285055 DOI: 10.1029/2021je006876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mars exhibits diverse surface changes at all latitudes and all seasons. Active processes include impact cratering, aeolian sand and dust transport, a variety of slope processes, changes in polar ices, and diverse effects of seasonal CO2 frost. The extent of surface change has been surprising and indicates that the present climate is capable of reshaping the surface. Activity has important implications for the Amazonian history of Mars: understanding processes is a necessary step before we can understand their implications and variations over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M. Dundas
- U.S. Geological SurveyAstrogeology Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| | | | - Shane Byrne
- Lunar and Planetary LaboratoryUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZUSA
| | | | - Ingrid J. Daubar
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary SciencesBrown UniversityProvidenceRIUSA
| | - Serina Diniega
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | | | - Margaret E. Landis
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Ganna Portyankina
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
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4
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Nir N, Knitter D, Hardt J, Schütt B. Human movement and gully erosion: Investigating feedback mechanisms using Frequency Ratio and Least Cost Path analysis in Tigray, Ethiopia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245248. [PMID: 33544725 PMCID: PMC7864406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The cost of human movement, whether expressed in time, effort, or distance, is a function of natural and human related variables. At the same time, human movement itself, whether on land, air or sea, causes environmental cost. We are looking into the long-term environmental relationship of this interplay. Gullies-linear landforms, which dissect the landscape-are considered to be a cost for human movement, as they can form unpassable barriers destroying present path networks. On the other hand, human movement creates pathways, which flatten the surface and decrease the water permeability potential. This process results in runoff generation and possibly gully erosion. Accordingly, the spatial relationship between pathways and gullies is investigated. In the Tigray region of the Northern Ethiopian Highlands, gullies and pathways were mapped using remote sensing data. Frequency Ratio was used for assessing pathways as a variable affecting the location of gullies while Least Cost Paths were tested to evaluate the possible constraining impact gullies have on mobility. Based on these results, it is concluded that a positive feedback exists between the cost of human movement and gully erosion. We further discuss possible effects gullies may have had on trade, territory, and political affairs in Tigray. Consequently, we suggest that movement cost and gullying may not only hold strictly environmental or movement-related implications, but also socio-cultural ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Nir
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Knitter
- Department of Geography, Physical Geography, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jacob Hardt
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brigitta Schütt
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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5
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Kereszturi Á. Unique and Potentially Mars-Relevant Flow Regime and Water Sources at a High Andes-Atacama Site. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:723-740. [PMID: 32525739 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A field expedition in the High Andes/Atacama Desert region revealed two types of flow-produced structures and a unique flow regime. Gullies somewhat smaller than those on Mars (width: 0.2-1 m, depth: 0.2-0.6 m, length: 4-60 m) were observed as mainly erosional structures. The other flow-related feature called infilled valleys showed activity only in specific, spatially discrete areas during the daytime. The active sections were composed of a source depression where liquid H2O was produced from subsurface buried sources, which flowed down and percolated into fine-grained infilling material of the valley. Several such active sections could be present along one valley, separated by inactive ones. Three types of H2O sources fed them: buried snow, surface snow, and ice left behind from the liquid water that had emerged the preceding day. This latter source has not yet been suggested for Mars. Some aspects related to the formation of the gullies and infilled valleys (H2O budget, albedo, erosional processes) may be similar with the formation processes hypothesized for the recurring slope lineae on Mars. The observed diurnal spatially discrete activity of the infilled valleys is related to the interaction of insolation and mass movement of exhumed subsurface snow, which is also believed to exist on Mars. The Ojos del Salado site is unique in that, despite it being located in the hyperarid High Andes/Atacama Desert region, material from rare snowfall events has been protected due to burial by grains transported by strong winds, supporting ephemeral melting in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ákos Kereszturi
- Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Konkoly Thege Miklos Astronomical Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- European Astrobiology Institute, Strasbourg, France
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6
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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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7
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Dundas CM, Bramson AM, Ojha L, Wray JJ, Mellon MT, Byrne S, McEwen AS, Putzig NE, Viola D, Sutton S, Clark E, Holt JW. Exposed subsurface ice sheets in the Martian mid-latitudes. Science 2018; 359:199-201. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aao1619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Thick deposits cover broad regions of the Martian mid-latitudes with a smooth mantle; erosion in these regions creates scarps that expose the internal structure of the mantle. We investigated eight of these locations and found that they expose deposits of water ice that can be >100 meters thick, extending downward from depths as shallow as 1 to 2 meters below the surface. The scarps are actively retreating because of sublimation of the exposed water ice. The ice deposits likely originated as snowfall during Mars’ high-obliquity periods and have now compacted into massive, fractured, and layered ice. We expect the vertical structure of Martian ice-rich deposits to preserve a record of ice deposition and past climate.
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8
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Raack J, Conway SJ, Herny C, Balme MR, Carpy S, Patel MR. Water induced sediment levitation enhances downslope transport on Mars. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1151. [PMID: 29075001 PMCID: PMC5658360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
On Mars, locally warm surface temperatures (~293 K) occur, leading to the possibility of (transient) liquid water on the surface. However, water exposed to the martian atmosphere will boil, and the sediment transport capacity of such unstable water is not well understood. Here, we present laboratory studies of a newly recognized transport mechanism: “levitation” of saturated sediment bodies on a cushion of vapor released by boiling. Sediment transport where this mechanism is active is about nine times greater than without this effect, reducing the amount of water required to transport comparable sediment volumes by nearly an order of magnitude. Our calculations show that the effect of levitation could persist up to ~48 times longer under reduced martian gravity. Sediment levitation must therefore be considered when evaluating the formation of recent and present-day martian mass wasting features, as much less water may be required to form such features than previously thought. Downslope sediment transport on Mars is reported, but the transport capacity of unstable water under low pressures is not well understood. Here, the authors present a newly discovered, highly reactive transportation mechanism that is only possible under low pressure environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raack
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Susan J Conway
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Clémence Herny
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew R Balme
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Sabrina Carpy
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Manish R Patel
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.,Space Science and Technology Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
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9
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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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10
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Martin D, Cockell CS. PELS (Planetary Environmental Liquid Simulator): a new type of simulation facility to study extraterrestrial aqueous environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:111-118. [PMID: 25651097 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of other planetary bodies, including Mars and icy moons such as Enceladus and Europa, show that they may have hosted aqueous environments in the past and may do so even today. Therefore, a major challenge in astrobiology is to build facilities that will allow us to study the geochemistry and habitability of these extraterrestrial environments. Here, we describe a simulation facility (PELS: Planetary Environmental Liquid Simulator) with the capability for liquid input and output that allows for the study of such environments. The facility, containing six separate sample vessels, allows for statistical replication of samples. Control of pressure, gas composition, UV irradiation conditions, and temperature allows for the precise replication of aqueous conditions, including subzero brines under martian atmospheric conditions. A sample acquisition system allows for the collection of both liquid and solid samples from within the chamber without breaking the atmospheric conditions, enabling detailed studies of the geochemical evolution and habitability of past and present extraterrestrial environments. The facility we describe represents a new frontier in planetary simulation-continuous flow-through simulation of extraterrestrial aqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Martin
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
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11
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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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12
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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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13
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Robbins SJ, Hynek BM. A new global database of Mars impact craters ≥1 km: 1. Database creation, properties, and parameters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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14
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Carr MH. The fluvial history of Mars. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2012; 370:2193-2215. [PMID: 22474681 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2011.0500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
River channels and valleys have been observed on several planetary bodies in addition to the Earth. Long sinuous valleys on Venus, our Moon and Jupiter's moon Io are clearly formed by lava, and branching valleys on Saturn's moon Titan may be forming today by rivers of methane. But by far the most dissected body in our Solar System apart from the Earth is Mars. Branching valleys that in plan resemble terrestrial river valleys are common throughout the most ancient landscapes preserved on the planet. Accompanying the valleys are the remains of other indicators of erosion and deposition, such as deltas, alluvial fans and lake beds. There is little reason to doubt that water was the erosive agent and that early in Mars' history, climatic conditions were very different from the present cold conditions and such that, at least episodically, water could flow across the surface. In addition to the branching valley networks, there are large flood features, termed outflow channels. These are similar to, but dwarf, the largest terrestrial flood channels. The consensus is that these channels were also cut by water although there are other possibilities. The outflow channels mostly postdate the valley networks, although most are still very ancient. They appear to have formed at a time when surface conditions were similar to those that prevail today. There is evidence that glacial activity has modified some of the water-worn valleys, particularly in the 30-50° latitude belts, and ice may also be implicated in the formation of geologically recent, seemingly water-worn gullies on steep slopes. Mars also has had a long volcanic history, and long, sinuous lava channels similar to those on the Moon and Venus are common on and around the large volcanoes. These will not, however, be discussed further; the emphasis here is on the effects of running water on the evolution of the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Carr
- US Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
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15
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Jones EG, Lineweaver CH, Clarke JD. An extensive phase space for the potential martian biosphere. ASTROBIOLOGY 2011; 11:1017-1033. [PMID: 22149914 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We present a comprehensive model of martian pressure-temperature (P-T) phase space and compare it with that of Earth. Martian P-T conditions compatible with liquid water extend to a depth of ∼310 km. We use our phase space model of Mars and of terrestrial life to estimate the depths and extent of the water on Mars that is habitable for terrestrial life. We find an extensive overlap between inhabited terrestrial phase space and martian phase space. The lower martian surface temperatures and shallower martian geotherm suggest that, if there is a hot deep biosphere on Mars, it could extend 7 times deeper than the ∼5 km depth of the hot deep terrestrial biosphere in the crust inhabited by hyperthermophilic chemolithotrophs. This corresponds to ∼3.2% of the volume of present-day Mars being potentially habitable for terrestrial-like life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriita G Jones
- Planetary Sciences Institute, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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16
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Hauber E, Reiss D, Ulrich M, Preusker F, Trauthan F, Zanetti M, Hiesinger H, Jaumann R, Johansson L, Johnsson A, Van Gasselt S, Olvmo M. Landscape evolution in Martian mid-latitude regions: insights from analogous periglacial landforms in Svalbard. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1144/sp356.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPeriglacial landforms on Spitsbergen (Svalbard, Norway) are morphologically similar to landforms on Mars that are probably related to the past and/or present existence of ice at or near the surface. Many of these landforms, such as gullies, debris-flow fans, polygonal terrain, fractured mounds and rock-glacier-like features, are observed in close spatial proximity in mid-latitude craters on Mars. On Svalbard, analogous landforms occur in strikingly similar proximity, which makes them useful study cases to infer the spatial and chronological evolution of Martian cold-climate surface processes. The analysis of the morphological inventory of analogous landforms on Svalbard and Mars allows the processes operating on Mars to be constrained. Different qualitative scenarios of landscape evolution on Mars help to better understand the action of periglacial processes on Mars in the recent past.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Hauber
- Institut für Planetenforschung, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - D. Reiss
- Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - M. Ulrich
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - F. Preusker
- Institut für Planetenforschung, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - F. Trauthan
- Institut für Planetenforschung, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - M. Zanetti
- Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - H. Hiesinger
- Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - R. Jaumann
- Institut für Planetenforschung, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - L. Johansson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 460, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - A. Johnsson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 460, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - S. Van Gasselt
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - M. Olvmo
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 460, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
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Tirsch D, Jaumann R, Pacifici A, Poulet F. Dark aeolian sediments in Martian craters: Composition and sources. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [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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18
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Hausrath EM, Brantley SL. Basalt and olivine dissolution under cold, salty, and acidic conditions: What can we learn about recent aqueous weathering on Mars? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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19
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Mangold N, Mangeney A, Migeon V, Ansan V, Lucas A, Baratoux D, Bouchut F. Sinuous gullies on Mars: Frequency, distribution, and implications for flow properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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20
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Nunes DC, Smrekar SE, Safaeinili A, Holt J, Phillips RJ, Seu R, Campbell B. Examination of gully sites on Mars with the shallow radar. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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21
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22
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Parsons RA, Nimmo F. Numerical modeling of Martian gully sediment transport: Testing the fluvial hypothesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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23
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de Vera JP, Möhlmann D, Butina F, Lorek A, Wernecke R, Ott S. Survival potential and photosynthetic activity of lichens under Mars-like conditions: a laboratory study. ASTROBIOLOGY 2010; 10:215-227. [PMID: 20402583 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2009.0362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Lichens were repetitively exposed over 22 days to thermophysical Mars-like conditions at low-and mid-latitudes. The simulated parameters and the experimental setup are described. Natural samples of the lichen Xanthoria elegans were used to investigate their ability to survive the applied Mars-like conditions. The effects of atmospheric pressure, CO(2) concentration, low temperature, water availability, and light on Mars were also studied. The results of these experiments indicate that no significant decrease in the vitality of the lichen occurred after exposure to simulated martian conditions, which was demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis, and a 95% CO(2) atmosphere with 100% humidity, low pressure (partial pressure of CO(2) was 600 Pa), and low temperature has a balancing effect on photosynthetic activity as a function of temperature. This means a starting low photosynthetic activity at high CO(2) concentrations with Earth-like pressure has a reduction of 60%. But, if the simulated atmospheric pressure is reduced to Mars-like conditions with the maintenance of the same Mars-like 95% CO(2) concentration, the photosynthetic activity increases and again reaches similar values as those exhibited under terrestrial atmospheric pressure and concentration. Based on these results, we presume that, in any region on Mars where liquid water might be available, even for short periods of time, a eukaryotic symbiotic organism would have the ability to survive, at least over weeks, and to temporarily photosynthesize.
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Smith PH, Tamppari L, Arvidson RE, Bass D, Blaney D, Boynton W, Carswell A, Catling D, Clark B, Duck T, DeJong E, Fisher D, Goetz W, Gunnlaugsson P, Hecht M, Hipkin V, Hoffman J, Hviid S, Keller H, Kounaves S, Lange CF, Lemmon M, Madsen M, Malin M, Markiewicz W, Marshall J, McKay C, Mellon M, Michelangeli D, Ming D, Morris R, Renno N, Pike WT, Staufer U, Stoker C, Taylor P, Whiteway J, Young S, Zent A. Introduction to special section on the Phoenix Mission: Landing Site Characterization Experiments, Mission Overviews, and Expected Science. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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25
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Stoker CR, Cannon HN, Dunagan SE, Lemke LG, Glass BJ, Miller D, Gomez-Elvira J, Davis K, Zavaleta J, Winterholler A, Roman M, Rodriguez-Manfredi JA, Bonaccorsi R, Bell MS, Brown A, Battler M, Chen B, Cooper G, Davidson M, Fernández-Remolar D, Gonzales-Pastor E, Heldmann JL, Martínez-Frías J, Parro V, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Sutter B, Schuerger AC, Schutt J, Rull F. The 2005 MARTE Robotic Drilling Experiment in Río Tinto, Spain: objectives, approach, and results of a simulated mission to search for life in the Martian subsurface. ASTROBIOLOGY 2008; 8:921-945. [PMID: 19032053 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) simulated a robotic drilling mission to search for subsurface life on Mars. The drill site was on Peña de Hierro near the headwaters of the Río Tinto river (southwest Spain), on a deposit that includes massive sulfides and their gossanized remains that resemble some iron and sulfur minerals found on Mars. The mission used a fluidless, 10-axis, autonomous coring drill mounted on a simulated lander. Cores were faced; then instruments collected color wide-angle context images, color microscopic images, visible-near infrared point spectra, and (lower resolution) visible-near infrared hyperspectral images. Cores were then stored for further processing or ejected. A borehole inspection system collected panoramic imaging and Raman spectra of borehole walls. Life detection was performed on full cores with an adenosine triphosphate luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence assay and on crushed core sections with SOLID2, an antibody array-based instrument. Two remotely located science teams analyzed the remote sensing data and chose subsample locations. In 30 days of operation, the drill penetrated to 6 m and collected 21 cores. Biosignatures were detected in 12 of 15 samples analyzed by SOLID2. Science teams correctly interpreted the nature of the deposits drilled as compared to the ground truth. This experiment shows that drilling to search for subsurface life on Mars is technically feasible and scientifically rewarding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol R Stoker
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA.
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Formation of gullies on Mars: link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:13258-63. [PMID: 18725636 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803760105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Features seen in portions of a typical midlatitude Martian impact crater show that gully formation follows a geologically recent period of midlatitude glaciation. Geological evidence indicates that, in the relatively recent past, sufficient snow and ice accumulated on the pole-facing crater wall to cause glacial flow and filling of the crater floor with debris-covered glaciers. As glaciation waned, debris-covered glaciers ceased flowing, accumulation zones lost ice, and newly exposed wall alcoves continued as the location for limited snow/frost deposition, entrapment, and preservation. Analysis of the insolation geometry of this pole-facing crater wall, and similar occurrences in other craters at these latitudes on Mars, shows that they are uniquely favored for accumulation of snow and ice, and a relatively more rapid exposure to warmer summer temperatures. We show that, after the last glaciation, melting of residual snow and ice in alcoves could have formed the fluvial channels and sedimentary fans of the gullies. Recent modeling shows that top-down melting can occur in these microenvironments under conditions similar to those currently observed on Mars, if small amounts of snow or frost accumulate in alcoves and channels. Accumulation and melting is even more favored in the somewhat wetter, relatively recent geological past of Mars, after the period of active glaciation.
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27
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Liu Y, Cockell CS, Wang G, Hu C, Chen L, De Philippis R. Control of Lunar and Martian dust--experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China. ASTROBIOLOGY 2008; 8:75-86. [PMID: 18240967 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongding Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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28
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Sutter B, Dalton JB, Ewing SA, Amundson R, McKay CP. Terrestrial analogs for interpretation of infrared spectra from the Martian surface and subsurface: Sulfate, nitrate, carbonate, and phyllosilicate-bearing Atacama Desert soils. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006jg000313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Sutter
- SETI Institute; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | - J. B. Dalton
- SETI Institute; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | - S. A. Ewing
- Division of Ecosystem Sciences; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - R. Amundson
- Division of Ecosystem Sciences; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - C. P. McKay
- NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
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29
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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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30
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Minitti ME, Weitz CM, Lane MD, Bishop JL. Morphology, chemistry, and spectral properties of Hawaiian rock coatings and implications for Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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31
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Malin MC, Bell JF, Cantor BA, Caplinger MA, Calvin WM, Clancy RT, Edgett KS, Edwards L, Haberle RM, James PB, Lee SW, Ravine MA, Thomas PC, Wolff MJ. Context Camera Investigation on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 805] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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32
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McEwen AS, Eliason EM, Bergstrom JW, Bridges NT, Hansen CJ, Delamere WA, Grant JA, Gulick VC, Herkenhoff KE, Keszthelyi L, Kirk RL, Mellon MT, Squyres SW, Thomas N, Weitz CM. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1056] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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33
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Jepsen SM, Priscu JC, Grimm RE, Bullock MA. The potential for lithoautotrophic life on Mars: application to shallow interfacial water environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2007; 7:342-54. [PMID: 17480165 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We developed a numerical model to assess the lithoautotrophic habitability of Mars based on metabolic energy, nutrients, water availability, and temperature. Available metabolic energy and nutrient sources were based on a laboratory-produced Mars-analog inorganic chemistry. For this specific reference chemistry, the most efficient lithoautotrophic microorganisms would use Fe(2+) as a primary metabolic electron donor and NO(3)(-) or gaseous O(2) as a terminal electron acceptor. In a closed model system, biomass production was limited by the electron donor Fe(2+) and metabolically required P, and typically amounted to approximately 800 pg of dry biomass/ml ( approximately 8,500 cells/ml). Continued growth requires propagation of microbes to new fecund environments, delivery of fresh pore fluid, or continued reaction with the host material. Within the shallow cryosphere--where oxygen can be accessed by microbes and microbes can be accessed by exploration-lithoautotrophs can function within as little as three monolayers of interfacial water formed either by adsorption from the atmosphere or in regions of ice stability where temperatures are within some tens of degrees of the ice melting point. For the selected reference host material (shergottite analog) and associated inorganic fluid chemistry, complete local reaction of the host material potentially yields a time-integrated biomass of approximately 0.1 mg of dry biomass/g of host material ( approximately 10(9) cells/g). Biomass could also be sustained where solutes can be delivered by advection (cryosuction) or diffusion in interfacial water; however, both of these processes are relatively inefficient. Lithoautotrophs in near-surface thin films of water, therefore, would optimize their metabolism by deriving energy and nutrients locally. Although the selected chemistry and associated model output indicate that lithoautotrophic microbial biomass could accrue within shallow interfacial water on Mars, it is likely that these organisms would spend long periods in maintenance or survival modes, with instantaneous biomass comparable to or less than that observed in extreme environments on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Jepsen
- Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
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34
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Rogers AD, Bandfield JL, Christensen PR. Global spectral classification of Martian low-albedo regions with Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS-TES) data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [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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35
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Rogers AD, Christensen PR. Surface mineralogy of Martian low-albedo regions from MGS-TES data: Implications for upper crustal evolution and surface alteration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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36
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Malin MC, Edgett KS, Posiolova LV, McColley SM, Dobrea EZN. Present-day impact cratering rate and contemporary gully activity on Mars. Science 2006; 314:1573-7. [PMID: 17158321 DOI: 10.1126/science.1135156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 397] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera has acquired data that establish the present-day impact cratering rate and document new deposits formed by downslope movement of material in mid-latitude gullies on Mars. Twenty impacts created craters 2 to 150 meters in diameter within an area of 21.5 x 10(6) square kilometers between May 1999 and March 2006. The values predicted by models that scale the lunar cratering rate to Mars are close to the observed rate, implying that surfaces devoid of craters are truly young and that as yet unrecognized processes of denudation must be operating. The new gully deposits, formed since August 1999, are light toned and exhibit attributes expected from emplacement aided by a fluid with the properties of liquid water: relatively long, extended, digitate distal and marginal branches, diversion around obstacles, and low relief. The observations suggest that liquid water flowed on the surface of Mars during the past decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Malin
- Malin Space Science Systems, Post Office Box 910148, San Diego, CA 92191-0148, USA
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37
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Taylor GJ, Stopar JD, Boynton WV, Karunatillake S, Keller JM, Brückner J, Wänke H, Dreibus G, Kerry KE, Reedy RC, Evans LG, Starr RD, Martel LMV, Squyres SW, Gasnault O, Maurice S, d'Uston C, Englert P, Dohm JM, Baker VR, Hamara D, Janes D, Sprague AL, Kim KJ, Drake DM, McLennan SM, Hahn BC. Variations in K/Th on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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39
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Forget F, Haberle RM, Montmessin F, Levrard B, Head JW. Formation of Glaciers on Mars by Atmospheric Precipitation at High Obliquity. Science 2006; 311:368-71. [PMID: 16424337 DOI: 10.1126/science.1120335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 365] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Surface conditions on Mars are currently cold and dry, with water ice unstable on the surface except near the poles. However, geologically recent glacierlike landforms have been identified in the tropics and the midlatitudes of Mars. The ice has been proposed to originate from either a subsurface reservoir or the atmosphere. We present high-resolution climate simulations performed with a model designed to simulate the present-day Mars water cycle but assuming a 45° obliquity as experienced by Mars a few million years ago. The model predicts ice accumulation in regions where glacier landforms are observed, on the western flanks of the great volcanoes and in the eastern Hellas region. This agreement points to an atmospheric origin for the ice and reveals how precipitation could have formed glaciers on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Université Paris 6 Boite Postale 99, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France.
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40
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Balme M, Mangold N, Baratoux D, Costard F, Gosselin M, Masson P, Pinet P, Neukum G. Orientation and distribution of recent gullies in the southern hemisphere of Mars: Observations from High Resolution Stereo Camera/Mars Express (HRSC/MEX) and Mars Orbiter Camera/Mars Global Surveyor (MOC/MGS) data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [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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41
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Michalski JR, Kraft MD, Sharp TG, Williams LB, Christensen PR. Emission spectroscopy of clay minerals and evidence for poorly crystalline aluminosilicates on Mars from Thermal Emission Spectrometer data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [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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42
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Mouginis-Mark PJ, Christensen PR. New observations of volcanic features on Mars from the THEMIS instrument. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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43
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Stopar JD, Lucey PG, Sharma SK, Misra AK, Taylor GJ, Hubble HW. Raman efficiencies of natural rocks and minerals: performance of a remote Raman system for planetary exploration at a distance of 10 meters. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2005; 61:2315-23. [PMID: 16029852 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2005.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2004] [Accepted: 02/04/2005] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique for materials analysis, and we are developing and analyzing a remote Raman system for use on a planetary lander or rover. We have acquired data at a distance of 10m from a variety of geologic materials using different instrument designs. We have employed a pulsed laser with both an ungated detector and a gated detector. A gated detector can reduce long-lived fluorescence while still collecting all Raman signal. In order to design a flight instrument, we need to quantify how natural surfaces will respond to laser stimulus. We define remote Raman efficiency of natural surfaces as the ratio of radiant exitance leaving a natural surface to the irradiance of the incident laser. The radiant exitance of a natural surface is the product of the sample radiance, the projected solid angle, and the full-width-half-maximum of the Raman signal. We have determined the remote Raman efficiency for a variety of rocks and minerals. The best efficiencies are achieved for large, clear, single crystals that produce the most radiant exitance, while darker fine-grained mineral mixtures produce lower efficiencies. By implementing a pulsed laser, gated detector system we have improved the signal detection and have generally decreased the integration time necessary to detect Raman signal from natural surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Stopar
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, Post 504, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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Ehlmann BL, Chowdhury J, Marzullo TC, Collins RE, Litzenberger J, Ibsen S, Krauser WR, DeKock B, Hannon M, Kinnevan J, Shepard R, Grant FD. Humans to Mars: a feasibility and cost-benefit analysis. ACTA ASTRONAUTICA 2005; 56:851-858. [PMID: 15835029 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2005.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mars is a compelling astrobiological target, and a human mission would provide an opportunity to collect immense amounts of scientific data. Exploration alone, however, cannot justify the increased risk. Instead, three factors drive a human mission: economics, education, and exploration. A human mission has a unique potential to inspire the next generation of young people to enter critically needed science and engineering disciplines. A mission is economically feasible, and the research and development program put in place for a human mission would propel growth in related high-technology industries. The main hurdles are human physiological responses to 1-2 years of radiation and microgravity exposure. However, enabling technologies are sufficiently mature in these areas that they can be developed within a few decade timescale. Hence, the decision of whether or not to undertake a human mission to Mars is a political decision, and thus, educational and economic benefits are the crucial factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany L Ehlmann
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
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45
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Richardson MI, Mischna MA. Long-term evolution of transient liquid water on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I. Richardson
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - Michael A. Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
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Stockstill KR, Moersch JE, Ruff SW, Baldridge A, Farmer J. Thermal Emission Spectrometer hyperspectral analyses of proposed paleolake basins on Mars: No evidence for in-place carbonates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Feldman WC, Prettyman TH, Maurice S, Nelli S, Elphic R, Funsten HO, Gasnault O, Lawrence DJ, Murphy JR, Tokar RL, Vaniman DT. Topographic control of hydrogen deposits at low latitudes to midlatitudes of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Heldmann JL. Formation of Martian gullies by the action of liquid water flowing under current Martian environmental conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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King PL, McSween HY. Effects of H2O, pH, and oxidation state on the stability of Fe minerals on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Shinbrot T, Duong NH, Kwan L, Alvarez MM. Dry granular flows can generate surface features resembling those seen in Martian gullies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:8542-6. [PMID: 15169960 PMCID: PMC423230 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0308251101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2003] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade or more, contradictory evidence of Martian climate, indicating that surface temperatures seldom if ever approach the melting point of water at midlatitudes, and geomorphic features, consistent with liquid flows at these same latitudes, have proven difficult to reconcile. In this article, we demonstrate that several features of liquid-erosional flows can be produced by dry granular materials when individual particle settling is slower than characteristic debris flow speeds. Since the gravitational acceleration on Mars is about one-third that on Earth, and since particle settling speeds scale with gravity, we propose that some (although perhaps not all) Martian geomorphological features attributed to liquid flows may in fact be associated with dry granular flows in the presence of reduced gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy Shinbrot
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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