Northern mid-latitude glaciation in the Late Amazonian period of Mars: Criteria for the recognition of debris-covered glacier and valley glacier landsystem deposits

Head, J. W.; Marchant, David R.; Dickson, J. L.; Kress, A.; Baker, D. M. H.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.06.041

Cited by 162 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…GLFs thereby generally form in small cirque-like alcoves or valleys, appear to flow downslope between bounding sidewalls, and terminate in a distinctive tongue which may or may not feed into a higher-order ice-rich terrain type. GLFs thereby represent the lowest-order component of what Head et al (2010) referred to as Mars' integrated glacial landsystem. According to this model, GLFs flow and may merge downslope to form broad, rampart-like lobate debris aprons (LDAs) (Squyres, 1978(Squyres, , 1979.…”

Section: Glf Classification Location and Formmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacier-like forms on Mars

Hubbard

Souness²,

Brough³

2014

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. More than 1300 glacier-like forms (GLFs) are located in Mars' mid-latitudes. These GLFs are predominantly composed of ice-dust mixtures and are visually similar to terrestrial valley glaciers, showing signs of downhill viscous deformation and an expanded former extent. However, several fundamental aspects of their behavior are virtually unknown, including temporal and spatial variations in mass balance, ice motion, landscape erosion and deposition, and hydrology. Here, we investigate the physical glaciology of martian GLFs. We use satellite images of specific examples and case studies to build on existing knowledge relating to (i) GLF current and former extent, exemplified via a GLF located in Phlegra Montes; (ii) indicators of GLF motion, focusing on the presence of surface crevasses on several GLFs; (iii) processes of GLF debris transfer, focusing on mapping and interpreting boulder trains on one GLF located in Protonilus Mensae, the analysis of which suggests a best-estimate mean GLF flow speed of 7.5 mm a −1 ; and (iv) GLF hydrology, focusing on supra-GLF gulley networks. On the basis of this information, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the glaciology of martian GLFs and identify future research avenues.

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Section: Glf Classification Location and Formmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacier-like forms on Mars

Hubbard

Souness²,

Brough³

2014

The Cryosphere

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“…in the dry scenario) are likely to be very low, and not all traces of former ice ages are extinguished by later glaciations. Therefore, the spatial extent of former and more widespread glaciations can be identified by careful morphological analysis (Hauber et al 2008;Dickson et al 2008Dickson et al , 2010Head et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape evolution in Martian mid-latitude regions: insights from analogous periglacial landforms in Svalbard

Hauber

Reiss

Ulrich

et al. 2011

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Periglacial 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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“…Baker et al 1991;Fassett et al 2010), the possibility of considerable amounts of groundwater/ground ice (e.g. Burr et al 2002;Head et al 2009), and most importantly, the presence of layered sedimentary units (e.g. Malin & Edgett 2000;Gendrin et al 2005;Rossi et al 2008).…”

Section: East German Creek Hypersaline Spring Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

Stromberg¹,

Applin

Cloutis

et al. 2013

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Spring and evaporite deposits are considered two of the most promising environments for past habitability on Mars and preservation of biosignatures. Manitoba, Canada hosts the East German Creek (EGC) hypersaline spring complex, and the post impact evaporite gypsum beds of the Lake St. Martin (LSM) impact. The EGC complex has microbial mats, sediments, algae and biofabrics, while endolithic communities are ubiquitous in the LSM gypsum beds. These communities are spectrally detectable based largely on the presence of a chlorophyll absorption band at 670 nm; however, the robustness of this feature under Martian surface conditions was unclear. Biological and biology-bearing samples from EGC and LSM were exposed to conditions similar to the surface of present day Mars (high UV flux, 100 mbar, anoxic, CO 2 rich) for up to 44 days, and preservation of the 670 nm chlorophyll feature and chlorophyll red-edge was observed. A decrease in band depth of the 670 nm band ranging from *16 to 80% resulted, with correlations seen in the degree of preservation and the spatial proximity of samples to the spring mound and mineral shielding effects. The spectra were deconvolved to Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Pancam and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mastcam science filter bandpasses to investigate the detectability of the 670 nm feature and to compare with common mineral features. The red-edge and 670 nm feature associated with chlorophyll can be distinguished from the spectra of minerals with features below *1000 nm, such as hematite and jarosite. However, distinguishing goethite from samples with the chlorophyll feature is more problematic, and quantitative interpretation using band depth data makes little distinction between iron oxyhydroxides and the 670 nm chlorophyll feature. The chlorophyll spectral feature is observable in both Pancam and Mastcam, and we propose that of the proposed EXOMARS Pancam filters, the PHYLL filter is best suited for its detection.

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Northern mid-latitude glaciation in the Late Amazonian period of Mars: Criteria for the recognition of debris-covered glacier and valley glacier landsystem deposits

Cited by 162 publications

References 45 publications

Glacier-like forms on Mars

Glacier-like forms on Mars

Landscape evolution in Martian mid-latitude regions: insights from analogous periglacial landforms in Svalbard

The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

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