Morphometric evidence of 3.6 Ga glacial valleys and glacial cirques in martian highlands: South of Terra Sabaea

Bouquety, Axel; Séjourné, Antoine; Costard, F.; Mercier, Denis; Bouley, Sylvain

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.02.022

Cited by 26 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The absence of glacial features, including eskers, kames, and frost wedges in ancient valley terrains all suggest that the valleys were not formed in a cold and icy climate. Although a recent study presents evidence of possible ice‐related features located in the highlands region south of Terra Sabae (Bouquety et al, ), such features are located at higher elevations far away from the valley networks themselves. Moreover, no periglacial features have been identified in this area and so there is no clear connection between the U‐shaped valleys (which the authors inferred to be glacial in origin) and the valley networks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

2020

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The debate over the early Martian climate is among the most intriguing in planetary science. Although the geologic evidence generally supports a warmer and wetter climate, climate models have had difficulty simulating such a scenario, leading some to suggest that the observed fluvial geology (e.g., valley networks, modified landscapes) on the Martian surface could have formed in a cold climate instead. However, as we have originally predicted using a single‐column radiative‐convective climate model (Ramirez, Kopparapu, Zugger, et al., 2014, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2000), warming from CO2‐H2 collision‐induced absorption on a volcanically active early Mars could have raised mean surface temperatures above the freezing point, with later calculations showing that this is achievable with hydrogen concentrations as low as ~1%. Nevertheless, these predictions should be tested against more complex models. Here we use an advanced energy balance model that includes a northern lowlands ocean to show that mean surface temperatures near or slightly above the freezing point of water were necessary to carve the valley networks. Our scenario is consistent with a relatively large ocean as has been suggested. Valley network distributions would have been global prior to subsequent removal processes. At lower mean surface temperatures and smaller ocean sizes, precipitation and surface erosion efficiency diminish. The warm period may have been approximately <107 years, perhaps suggesting that episodic warming mechanisms were not needed. Atmospheric collapse and permanently glaciated conditions occur once surface ice coverage exceeds a threshold depending on collision‐induced absorption assumptions. Our results support an early warm and semiarid climate consistent with many geologic observations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

2020

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“…One of the main arguments against that scenario is the lack of geomorphologic evidence of glacial landscapes in Noachian terrains (Ramirez and Craddock, 2018). But, in a previous study, we demonstrated for the first time, with a detailed morphometrical analysis, the presence of glacial landscapes in the south of Terra Sabaea (42°17′E, 2°55′S) at elevations > 1000 m in two impact craters and one mountain (Bouquety et al, 2019). These glacial landscape comprise glacial cirques linked with glacial valleys (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…1). The glacial landscapes in Terra Sabaea have the same morphometric characteristics and trends as terrestrial and martian glacial valleys and cirques (Bouquety et al, 2019). They are also very different from those observed in fluvial valleys on Earth and Mars.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…The highlands in Terra Sabaea exhibit several glacial landforms including 100 glacial cirques and 83 glacial valleys in two impact craters (Dawes crater, 42°17′E, 2°55′S, and crater 1, 42°34′E, 9°10′S) and one mountain in Terra Sabaea ( (Bouquety et al, 2019); Fig. 2).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Identified Glacial Valleys and Glacial CImentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The purpose of this paper is to extend our study to other morphologies in three craters in Terra Sabaea (Fig. 2), using the same morphometric method described in (Bouquety et al, 2019) and, to extend our understanding of the distribution at types of glacial landscape elsewhere in Terra Sabaea. We performed a comparison between morphologies found in this area and paleoglaciations found on Earth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Glacial landscape and paleoglaciation in Terra Sabaea: Evidence for a 3.6 Ga polythermal plateau ice cap

et al. 2020

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In a previous study, we demonstrated with a comparative morphometrical analysis the first morphometric evidence of a glacial landscape composed of glacial cirques and glacial valleys in the south of Terra Sabaea at an elevation > 1000 m in two impact craters and one mountain. The purpose of this study is to use the same method to seek other geomorphologic evidence of glacial landscapes elsewhere in Terra Sabaea. Based on a comparison between current and old glacial landscapes on Earth and Mars, we identified 81 glacial valleys and possible evidence for a former plateau ice cap dated at 3.6 Ga at the highest elevation in Terra Sabaea. The identified glacial valleys have the same morphometric properties as terrestrial and martian glacial valleys with U-shaped cross-sectional profiles, a V-index > 0.2, a length to with ratio > 1 and a cross-sectional area to drainage area ratio four times higher than the fluvial ones. Moreover, these properties are different from terrestrial and martian fluvial valleys. We did not find well preserved glacial cirques in this area, this absence questions the origin of glacial valleys. However, the presence of an extensive flat plateau, from which the long valleys radiate, could have hosted an ancient plateau ice cap which was the source of these glacial valleys. A comparison with the Cantal and the Shaluli Shan in the southeastern Tibetan plateau on Earth reveals morphometrical similarities with our study area. In fact, long glacial valleys, originating radially from a plateau at higher elevation are characteristics of an ancient plateau ice cap. This analysis allowed us to propose a polythermal regime for martian glacial landscape, namely a cold-based ice cap except at the margin where the regime is warmed-based due to the steeper topography. This topography created shear stress which increased the heat at the base of the ice and created the outlet glacial valleys. Near the plateau, the radial valleys are U-shaped with a V-index > 0.2 but downstream, to the low elevation area, these valleys become more V-shaped with a V-index around 0.1. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of an open-basin paleolake making the transition between inlet glacial valleys upstream and an outlet V-shaped valley downstream. So the morphometry of the radiating valleys suggests that liquid water played a role in the formation of this landscape.

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Geological Record of Water and Wind Processes on Mars as Observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

Jaumann,

Tirsch,

Adeli

et al. 2024

Space Sci Rev

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This review paper summarizes the observations and results of the Mars Express Mission and its application in the analysis of geological processes and landforms on Mars during the last 20 years. The Mars Express observations provided an extended data base allowing a comparative evaluation of different geological surface landforms and their time-based delimitation. High-resolution imagery and digital elevations models on a local to regional scale and spectral measurements are the basis for geological analyses of water-related surface processes on Mars. This includes the nature and discharges of valley networks, formation timescale of deltas, volumina of sedimentary deposits as well as estimating the age of geological units by crater size–frequency distribution measurements. Both the quantifying of geological processes and the determination of absolute model ages allows to constraint the evolution of Martian water-related activity in space and time. Comparative age estimation of fluvial, glacial, and lacustrine deposits, as well as their timing and episodicity, has revealed the nature and evolution of the Martian surface hydrological cycle. Fluvial and lacustrine activity phases are spread over a time span from Noachian until Amazonian periods, but detailed studies show that they have been interrupted by multiple and long-lasting phases of cessation and quiescent. In addition, evidence of glacial activity shows discrete phases of enhanced intensity correlating with increased spin-axis obliquity amplitude. The episodicity of geological processes, erosion, deposition, and glaciation on Mars demonstrate a close correlation between individual surface processes and endogenic activity as well as spin-axis/orbital variations and changing climate condition.

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Morphometric evidence of 3.6 Ga glacial valleys and glacial cirques in martian highlands: South of Terra Sabaea

Cited by 26 publications

References 75 publications

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

Glacial landscape and paleoglaciation in Terra Sabaea: Evidence for a 3.6 Ga polythermal plateau ice cap

Geological Record of Water and Wind Processes on Mars as Observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

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Morphometric evidence of 3.6 Ga glacial valleys and glacial cirques in martian highlands: South of Terra Sabaea

Cited by 26 publications

References 75 publications

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

Climate Simulations of Early Mars With Estimated Precipitation, Runoff, and Erosion Rates

Glacial landscape and paleoglaciation in Terra Sabaea: Evidence for a 3.6 Ga polythermal plateau ice cap

Geological Record of Water and Wind Processes on Mars as Observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

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Morphometric evidence of 3.6 Ga glacial valleys and glacial cirques in martian highlands: South of Terra Sabaea