The Evolution of the Martian Hydrosphere: Implications for the Fate of a Primordial Ocean and the Current State of the Northern Plains

Clifford, Stephen M.

doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6671

Cited by 627 publications

(728 citation statements)

References 159 publications

(243 reference statements)

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“…Our investigation focuses primarily on that portion of Mangala Valles south of where the system branches downstream (Figure 2). Additionally, we present a new model for the source and delivery of water to Mangala Valles, which is consistent with the global hydrologic model of Clifford (1993) (updated by Clifford and Parker (2001)), and which addresses specific questions raised by the models presented by previous investigators.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…The groundbreaking model put forth by Clifford (1993), and later updated by Clifford and Parker (2001), provides a first-order approximation for the structure of the martian hydrologic system. As described in these works, any water within the pore space of the outer portion of the martian crust which remains continuously below the freezing point of water (the cryosphere) exists as ground ice.…”

Section: Model Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mangala Valles, Mars: Assessment of Early Stages of Flooding and Downstream Flood Evolution

2005

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Abstract. The Mangala Valles system is an~900 km fluvially carved channel system located southwest of the Tharsis rise and is unique among the martian outflow channels in that it heads at a linear fracture within the crust as opposed to a collapsed region of chaos as is the case with the circum-Chryse channels. Mangala Valles is confined within a broad, north-south trending depression, and begins as a single valley measuring up to 350 km wide that extends northward from a Memnonia Fossae graben, across the southern highlands toward the northern lowlands. Approximately 600 km downstream, this single valley branches into multiple channels, which ultimately lose their expression at the dichotomy boundary. Previous investigations of Mangala Vallis suggested that many of the units mapped interior to the valley were depositional, related to flooding, and that a minimum of two distinct periods of flooding separated by tens to hundreds of millions of years were required to explain the observed geology. We use infrared and visible images from the THermal EMission Imaging System (THEMIS), and topographic data from the Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (MOLA), to investigate the nature of the units mapped within Mangala Vallis. We find that the geomorphology of the units, as well as their topographic and geographic distribution, are consistent with most of them originating from a single assemblage of volcanic flow deposits, once continuous with volcanic flows to the south of the Memnonia Fossae source graben. These flows resurfaced the broad, north-south trending depression into which Mangala Vallis formed prior to any fluvial activity. Later flooding scoured and eroded this volcanic assemblage north of the Mangala source graben, resulting in the present distribution of the units within Mangala Vallis. Additionally, our observations suggest that a single period of catastrophic flooding, rather than multiple periods separated by tens to hundreds of millions of years, is consistent with and can plausibly explain the interior geology of Mangala Vallis. Further, we present a new scenario for the source and delivery of water to the Mangala source graben that models flow of groundwater through a subcryosphere aquifer and up a fracture that cracks the cryosphere and taps this aquifer. The results of our model indicate that the source graben, locally enlarged to a trough near the head region of Mangala, would have required less than several days to fill up prior to any spill-over of water to the north. Through estimates of the volume of material missing from Mangala (13,000-20,000 km 3 ), and calculation of mean discharge rates through the channel system (~5 · 10 6 m 3 s )1 ), we estimate that the total duration of fluvial activity through the Mangala Valles was 1-3 months. Notation:Parameter: Definition (Units); H:water head height in aquifer above base of cryosphere fracture (m); lateral length scale of aquifer (m); P atm : atmospheric pressure (500) (Pa);pressure at bottom of cryosphere fracture (Pa);pressure in unsaturated portion...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Model Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mangala Valles, Mars: Assessment of Early Stages of Flooding and Downstream Flood Evolution

2005

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“…If there were standing bodies of water in the northern lowlands in the past, under current climate conditions such lakes or oceans would rapidly freeze and form an ice cover (e.g., Kargel et al, 1996;Clifford and Parker, 1999). However they could stabilize if fed by meltwater or groundwater (McKay and Davis, 1991).…”

Section: Lakes and Oceansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geological Processes and Evolution

Head

Greeley

Golombek

et al. 2001

Space Sciences Series of ISSI

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Abstract. Geological mapping and establishment of stratigraphic relationships provides an overview of geological processes operating on Mars and how they have varied in time and space. Impact craters and basins shaped the crust in earliest history and as their importance declined, evidence of extensive regional volcanism emerged during the Late Noachian. Regional volcanism characterized the Early Hesperian and subsequent to that time, volcanism was largely centered at Tharsis and Elysium, continuing until the recent geological past. The Tharsis region appears to have been largely constructed by the Late Noachian, and represents a series of tectonic and volcanic centers. Globally distributed structural features representing contraction characterize the middle Hesperian. Water-related processes involve the formation of valley networks in the Late Noachian and into the Hesperian, an ice sheet at the south pole in the middle Hesperian, and outflow channels and possible standing bodies of water in the northern lowlands in the Late Hesperian and into the Amazonian. A significant part of the present water budget occurs in the present geologically young polar layered terrains. In order to establish more firmly rates of processes, we stress the need to improve the calibration of the absolute timescale, which today is based on crater count systems with substantial uncertainties, along with a sampling of rocks of unknown provenance. Sample return from carefully chosen stratigraphic units could calibrate the existing timescale and vastly improve our knowledge of Martian evolution.

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“…Later Clifford and Parker [2001] renamed them the Arabia and Deuteronilus shorelines, respectively. The existence of these shorelines continues to be debated [Parker et al, 1989;Head et al, 1998Head et al, , 1999Malin and Edgett, 1999;Carr and Head, 2003].…”

Section: Putative Shorelinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anomalous tilt of Isidis Planitia, Mars

McGowan

McGill

2006

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] We examine several models to account for the contrast between the global northern tilt of Mars and the southwest slope of Isidis Planitia and the putative Deuteronilus shoreline surrounding Isidis Planitia. We found the most probable cause for both the tilt of Isidis Planitia and the Deuteronilus shoreline at this location to be a peripheral bulge created by a load in Utopia basin. Using a flexural model it was found that a 12km load resulting in a 6 km deflection in Utopia basin could create a peripheral bulge that in distance and magnitude resembles the topographic profile from Isidis Planitia northeastward into Utopia basin.

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The Evolution of the Martian Hydrosphere: Implications for the Fate of a Primordial Ocean and the Current State of the Northern Plains

Cited by 627 publications

References 159 publications

Mangala Valles, Mars: Assessment of Early Stages of Flooding and Downstream Flood Evolution

Mangala Valles, Mars: Assessment of Early Stages of Flooding and Downstream Flood Evolution

Geological Processes and Evolution

Anomalous tilt of Isidis Planitia, Mars

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