Radar evidence for ice in lobate debris aprons in the mid‐northern latitudes of Mars

Plaut, J. J.; Safaeinili, A.; Holt, J. W.; Phillips, R. J.; Head, J. W.; Seu, R.; Putzig, N. E.; Frigeri, Alessandro

doi:10.1029/2008gl036379

Cited by 295 publications

(215 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The slopes and surface morphology are very similar to deposits at the dichotomy boundary interpreted to be debris-covered glaciers in valley systems (21)(22)(23). Recent analyses of SHARAD radar data show evidence that these deposits are indeed predominantly ice (27,28). Lobe-shaped spatulate depressions along the northern base of the crater wall ( Fig.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Formation of gullies on Mars: Link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin

Head

Marchant

Kreslavsky

2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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148

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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.craters ͉ erosion ͉ glaciation ͉ fluvial ͉ snow

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Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Formation of gullies on Mars: Link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin

Head

Marchant

Kreslavsky

2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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148

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“…These landforms, being composed predominantly of H 2 O ice Plaut et al, 2009) and exhibiting surface morphologies consistent with viscous flow , have come to be known collectively as viscous Figure 1. A 3-D image of a typical martian GLF (#948 in the inventory of , which is ∼ 4 km long and ∼ 600 m in altitudinal range.…”

Section: Glf Classification Location and Formmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There have been very few direct observations of the interior of GLFs, but Dundas and Byrne (2010) reported the capture of very recent meteorite strikes that indicated the presence of relatively clean (i.e., debris poor) massive ice at a depth of some centimetres to metres below the surface. Furthermore, data from the shallow subsurface radar (SHARAD) sensor, mounted on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), suggest that many VFFs (including GLFs) may well be composed of massive H 2 O ice with minimal lithic content Plaut et al, 2009). These findings led to the widespread acceptance that H 2 O ice accounts for the dominant portion of GLF mass.…”

Section: Glf Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Mars' gravity, at ∼ 3.7 m s −2 , is less than 40 % of Earth's. Mars' surface temperature varies between ∼ −130 and +27 • C, with a mean of ∼ −60 • C (Read and Lewis, 2004), ∼ 75 • C lower than on Earth. Finally, the partial pressure of H 2 O in Mars' near-surface atmosphere is ∼ 1 µbar, making the planet's surface ∼ 1000 times drier than Earth's.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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“…Three main paths for water recovery are possible: extracting water from the regolith, extracting water from the permanent or transient ice caps, or extracting water from the atmosphere. Results from the Mars Reconnaissance orbiter and the Mars Phoenix mission, among others, show that a considerable amount of water is accessible in the form of ice in the shallow subsurface regions, particularly in high latitude areas 13,14 . Accessing this water would require a drill or an excavating tool to remove the overburden of regolith, followed by collection and purification by evaporation and condensation of the water.…”

Section: B Production Plant Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mars Surface Mobility Leading to Sustainable Exploration

Linne

Barsi

et al. 2012

50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition

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A Mars rocket-propelled hopper concept was evaluated for feasibility through analysis and experiments. The approach set forth in this paper is to combine the use of in-situ resources in a new Mars mobility concept that will greatly enhance the science return while providing the first opportunity towards reducing the risk of incorporating ISRU into the critical path for the highly coveted, but currently unaffordable, sample return mission. Experimental tests were performed on a high-pressure, self-throttling gaseous oxygen/methane propulsion system to simulate a two-burn-with-coast hop profile. Analysis of the trajectory, production plant requirements, and vehicle mass indicates that a small hopper vehicle could hop 2 km every 30 days with an initial mass of less than 60 kg. A larger vehicle can hop 15 km every 30 to 60 days with an initial mass of 300 to 430 kg.= conversion factor u = upstream h = heat transfer coefficient M = Mach number Greek m = mass π = flow coefficient mdot = mass flow rate γ = ratio of specific heats P = pressure µ = dynamic viscosity Pr = Prandtl number σ = heat transfer coefficient correction factor q" = heat flux R = gas constant r = radius of curvature T = temperature

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Radar evidence for ice in lobate debris aprons in the mid‐northern latitudes of Mars

Cited by 295 publications

References 38 publications

Formation of gullies on Mars: Link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin

Formation of gullies on Mars: Link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin

Glacier-like forms on Mars

Mars Surface Mobility Leading to Sustainable Exploration

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