Planetary Aeolian Geomorphology

Bourke, M. C.; Balme, M. R.; Lewis, S. R.; Lorenz, R. D.; Parteli, Eric J. R.

doi:10.1002/9781118945650.ch11

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…In particular, cross‐strata, the most fundamental elements of the depositional record of aeolian dune fields, have been widely used on Earth to reconstruct the bedform morphologies that were present and the processes that occurred in ancient dune fields (Blakey et al., 1988; Hunter, 1977; Rubin & Hunter, 1983). Modern aeolian sediments—sand and dust deposits—are ubiquitous on the surface of Mars (Bourke et al., 2008, 2019; Bridges et al., 2017; Christensen, 1986; Cutts & Smith, 1973; Ewing et al., 2017; Fenton et al., 2019; Hayes et al., 2011; Sullivan et al., 2005); ancient aeolian strata have been definitively identified in rover images (Banham et al., 2018; Edgar et al., 2012; Grotzinger et al., 2005) and inferred from orbiter data (Anderson et al., 2018; Bourke & Viles, 2016; Brothers et al., 2018; Day & Catling, 2018; Day et al., 2019; Ewing et al., 2010; Milliken et al., 2014). Analysis of cross‐stratified sandstones using images acquired by Mars rover cameras has provided detailed insight into aeolian dune morphologies at Meridiani Planum and Gale crater (Banham et al., 2018; Barnes et al., 2018; Edgar et al., 2012; Hayes et al., 2011; Metz et al., 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

et al. 2021

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Lithified aeolian strata encode information about ancient planetary surface processes and the climate during deposition. Decoding these strata provides insight regarding past sediment transport processes, bedform kinematics, depositional landscape, and the prevailing climate. Deciphering these signatures requires a detailed analysis of sedimentary architecture to reconstruct dune morphology, motion, and the conditions that enabled their formation. Here, we show that a distinct sandstone unit exposed in the foothills of Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars, records the preserved expression of compound aeolian bedforms that accumulated in a large dune field. Analysis of Mastcam images of the Stimson formation shows that it consists of cross-stratified sandstone beds separated by a hierarchy of erosive bounding surfaces formed during dune migration. The presence of two orders of surfaces with distinct geometrical relations reveals that the Stimson-era landscape consisted of large dunes (draas) with smaller, superimposed dunes migrating across their lee slopes. Analysis of cross-lamination and subset bounding surface geometries indicate a complex wind regime that transported sediment toward the north, constructing oblique dunes. This dune field was a direct product of the regional climate and the surface processes active in Gale crater during the fraction of the Hesperian Period recorded by the Stimson formation. The environment was arid, supporting a large aeolian dune field; this setting contrasts with earlier humid depositional episodes, recorded by the lacustrine sediments of the Murray formation (also Hesperian). Such fine-scale reconstruction of landscapes on the ancient surface of Mars is important to understanding the planet's past climate and habitability.Plain Language Summary Sedimentary rocks formed from sediments transported and deposited by the wind provide valuable information about the ancient environment, such as climate, wind direction, and the types of desert landforms that were present. This study focuses on the windblown sediments, now sandstone, imaged using the Mastcam instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, at the Murray buttes inside Gale crater, between the 1383rd and 1455th Martian days (sols) of the mission. Analysis of the sedimentary structures in images shows that the Stimson formation at the Murray buttes was deposited by the wind in the form of compound sand dunes. These were large dunes with smaller dunes migrating across their surfaces. Analysis of the sedimentary structures generated by the complex interaction of these two scales of dune indicates that the large dunes migrated north, and that the smaller superimposed dunes migrated across the faces of the large dunes toward the northeast. The presence of large, wind-driven dunes indicates that the region was extremely arid, and that-at the time the Stimson dune field existed-the interior of Gale crater was devoid of surface water, unlike the setting recorded by the older, underlying lake sediments of the Murray f...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

et al. 2021

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“…All bodies with an atmosphere have wind and aeolian landforms have been reported from: Mars, Venus Titan and Pluto (Lorenz and Zimbelman, 2014;Telfer et al, 2018), as well as of course Earth. For a full review of planetary aeolian landforms and associated processes I refer interested readers to Bourke et al (2019). The observation of aeolian bedforms including ripples, megaripples and dunes on other planetary bodies (Figure 1a,b) has been very important for understanding the basic physics underlying aeolian processes, because these planetary bodies provide different atmospheric densities and particle densities spanning a wider range of parameter space than accessible on Earth at the landscape-scale (Kok et al, 2012;Lapôtre et al, 2020).…”

Section: Planetary Aeolian Landforms and Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planetary geomorphology

Conway¹

2022

Memoirs

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With the advent of the space age, planetary geomorphology has become a stand-alone discipline. This contribution provides a summary of the different processes that have been identified to form landscapes and landforms on planetary bodies in our Solar System, including rocky planets, icy planets and moons, dwarf planets, comets and asteroids. I highlight the insights these landforms have provided into the workings of these bodies and how what has been learnt in space has often taught us new lessons about the Earth. Finally, I conclude that despite the limitations imposed by remote sensing, planetary geomorphology has a bright future in planning future missions to explore our Solar System as well as understanding the data that will be returned.

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“…Mars has an atmosphere that is almost two orders of magnitude lower in surface pressure than Earth's, and nevertheless Martian dunes are migrating daily and producing Earthlike sand flux rates, while rovers and satellites have been detecting dust devils and global dust storms on the red planet (Fisher et al 2005;Bridges et al 2012;Bourke et al 2019;Liuzzi et al 2020;Heyer et al 2020). Indeed, while a breeze is sufficient to lift sand grains from the ground at 1 bar on Earth, it requires a storm to do the same at a few mbar CO 2 on Mars (Bagnold 1941;Greeley & Iversen 1985;Merrison et al 2007;Rasmussen et al 2015;Burr et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifting of Tribocharged Grains by Martian Winds

Kruss¹,

Salzmann²,

Parteli³

et al. 2021

Planet. Sci. J.

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It is a long-standing open question whether electrification of wind-blown sand due to tribocharging—the generation of electric charges on the surface of sand grains by particle–particle collisions—could affect rates of sand transport occurrence on Mars substantially. While previous wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations addressed how particle trajectories may be affected by external electric fields, the effect of sand electrification remains uncertain. Here we show, by means of wind tunnel simulations under air pressure of 20 mbar, that the presence of electric charges on the particle surface can reduce the minimal threshold wind shear velocity for the initiation of sand transport, u *ft, significantly. In our experiments, we considered different samples, a model system of glass beads as well as a Martian soil analog, and different scenarios of triboelectrification. Furthermore, we present a model to explain the values of u *ft obtained in the wind tunnel that is based on inhomogeneously distributed surface charges. Our results imply that particle transport that subsides, once the wind shear velocity has fallen below the threshold for sustained transport, can more easily be restarted on Mars than previously thought.

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Planetary Aeolian Geomorphology

Cited by 5 publications

References 118 publications

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

Planetary geomorphology

Lifting of Tribocharged Grains by Martian Winds

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