Ancient aqueous sedimentation on Mars

Goldspiel, Jules M.; Squyres, S. W.

doi:10.1016/0019-1035(91)90186-w

Cited by 167 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…For both of these reasons, available contributing aquifers would have been small. In addition, significant aquifer recharge would have been needed to transport the weathered volume of debris equivalent to martian valley volumes (Howard, 1988;Gulick and Baker, 1990;Goldspiel and Squyres, 1991;Goldspiel et al, 1993;Grant, 2000;Gulick, 2001;Craddock and Howard, 2002). Alternative explanations for steep or vertical valley headscarps in terrestrial bedrock have been noted, including surface flood erosion of strong-over-weak stratigraphy or vertically jointed rock, although very large floods ('megafloods') may be required to topple columns of jointed rock (Lamb et al, 2008a(Lamb et al, , 2014Lamb and Dietrich, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Irwin

Tooth

Craddock

et al. 2014

Icarus

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a b s t r a c tUnderstanding planetary landforms, including the theater-headed valleys (box canyons) of Mars, usually depends on interpreting geological processes from remote-sensing data without ground-based corroboration. Here we investigate the origin and development of two Mars-analog theater-headed valleys in the hyperarid Atacama Desert of northern Chile. Previous workers attributed these valleys to groundwater sapping based on remote imaging, topography, and publications on the local geology. We evaluate groundwater sapping and alternative hypotheses using field observations of characteristic features, strength measurements of strata exposed in headscarps, and estimates of ephemeral flood discharges within the valleys. The headscarps lack evidence of recent or active seepage weathering, such as spring discharge, salt weathering, alcoves, or vegetation. Their welded tuff caprocks have compressive strengths multiple times those of the underlying epiclastic strata. Flood discharge estimates of cubic meters to tens of cubic meters per second, derived using the Manning equation, are consistent with the size of transported clasts and show that the ephemeral streams are geomorphically effective, even in the modern hyperarid climate. We interpret that headscarp retreat in the Quebrada de Quisma is due to ephemeral flood erosion of weak Miocene epiclastic strata beneath a strong welded tuff, with erosion of the tuff facilitated by vertical jointing. The Quebrada de Humayani headscarp is interpreted as the scar of a giant landslide, maintained against substantial later degradation by similar strong-over-weak stratigraphy. This work suggests that theater-headed valleys on Earth and Mars should not be attributed by default to groundwater sapping, as other processes with lithologic and structural influences can form theater headscarps.Published by Elsevier Inc.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Irwin

Tooth

Craddock

et al. 2014

Icarus

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“…Support for past precipitation on Mars comes from tributaries that commonly head near sharp ridge crests where groundwater sources are unlikely ( Fig. 1) (Milton, 1973;Masursky et al, 1977;Irwin and Howard, 2002), ubiquitous Noachian impact craters in the equatorial highlands that appear degraded by fluvial processes (Craddock et al, 1997;Forsberg-Taylor et al, 2004), and the need for recharge to support the erosion of valley network volumes (Howard, 1988;Goldspiel and Squyres, 1991;Grant, 2000;Gulick, 2001;Craddock and Howard, 2002). Martian valley networks are immature if formed by runoff, with numerous enclosed drainage basins, headcuts, or knickpoints along their longitudinal profiles (Baker and Partridge, 1986;Aharonson et al, 2002;Irwin and Howard, 2002), and relatively sparse tributary development on intervalley surfaces (Carr, 1996;Malin and Carr, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interior channels in Martian valley networks: Discharge and runoff production

Irwin

Craddock

Howard

2005

Geol

143

168

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The highland valley networks are perhaps the most compelling evidence for widespread fluvial activity on Mars Ͼ3.5 Ga. However, determining the hydrology of these features has been difficult owing to poor image resolution and the lack of available topographic data. New orbital imaging reveals 21 late-stage channels within valley networks, which we use to estimate formative discharges and to evaluate water supply mechanisms. We find that channel width and associated formative discharge are comparable to terrestrial valley networks of similar area and relief. For 15 narrow channels in basin-filling networks, likely episodic runoff production rates up to centimeters per day and first-order formative discharges of ϳ300-3000 m 3 /s are similar to terrestrial floods supplied by precipitation. Geothermal melting of ground ice would produce discharges ϳ100 times smaller per unit area and would require pulsed outbursts to form the channels. In four large valleys with few tributaries, wider channels may represent large subsurface outflows or paleolake overflows, as these four channels originate at breached basin divides and/or near source regions for the catastrophic outflow channels.

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“…Such conditions should have produced sediments. Many valley networks terminate in closed sedimentary basins which have depths of several kilometers [Goldspiel and Squyres, 1991]. In addition, analogs to terrestrial evaporites may exist in ancient crater basins [Forsythe and Zimbelman, 1995].…”

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confidence: 99%

A chemical model for evaporites on early Mars: Possible sedimentary tracers of the early climate and implications for exploration

Catling¹

1999

J. Geophys. Res.

129

122

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Abstract.Martian geomorphology seems to indicate extensive hydrological activity during the Noachian era. Liquid water at the surface would require a large greenhouse effect that is widely hypothesized to have been caused by a high partial pressure of atmospheric carbon dioxide, Pco=. A sedimentation model driven by sequential evaporation is used to calculate the evaporite mineral sequence in a closed basin lake subject to high Pco2. The initial fluid is derived from weathered igneous rock similar to Martian meteorite basalts. Siderite (FeCOa) is always the first major carbonate to precipitate. Thus siderite is predicted to be an important facies component in ancient Martian sediments along with silica, which is also an early precipitate. These would form varves in lakes that undergo cycles of evaporation and water recharge. After silica and siderite, the sequence is magnesian calcite, nearly pure hydromagnesite, and gypsum, followed by highly soluble salts like NaC1.

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Ancient aqueous sedimentation on Mars

Cited by 167 publications

References 27 publications

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Interior channels in Martian valley networks: Discharge and runoff production

A chemical model for evaporites on early Mars: Possible sedimentary tracers of the early climate and implications for exploration

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