Variability in martian sinuous ridge form: Case study of Aeolis Serpens in the Aeolis Dorsa, Mars, and insight from the Mirackina paleoriver, South Australia

River meandering on Earth and Mars: A comparative study of Aeolis Dorsa meanders, Mars and possible terrestrial analogs of the Usuktuk River, AK, and the Quinn River, NV

“…The channel deposits are also not eroded into yardangs like the MFF, and they are able to stand in positive relief as MFF deposits are deflated. Based upon these characteristics, the exposed channel deposits are likely to be slightly-cemented fine to medium textured gravel (Burr et al, 2010;Williams et al, 2013). This grain size is also inferred from the moderately high thermal inertia of the channel deposits (Burr et al, 2010), although the high thermal inertia could result from finer, but cemented bed sediment.…”

“…Most of these are fragmentary or exhibit low sinuosity, but an extensive set of inverted sinuous channels is exposed in the Aeolis Dorsa region, centered at about 5°S and 150°E (Burr et al, 2009(Burr et al, , 2010Williams et al, 2009Williams et al, , 2013 (Fig. 1).…”

“…Highly sinuous paleo alluvial channels with attendant floodplains and cutoffs have been found in high resolution imaging of Mars (Malin and Edgett, 2003;Moore et al, 2003;Burr et al, 2009Burr et al, , 2010Williams et al, 2013). These features present a dilemma in accounting for this meandering, because most terrestrial meandering channels are associated with an appreciable vegetation cover, which has been postulated as being important in producing meandering as opposed to braiding morphology.…”

Plateaus and sinuous ridges as the fingerprints of lava flow inflation in the Eastern Tharsis Plains of Mars

“…Sinuous ridges found elsewhere across the surface of Mars are interpreted as inverted fluvial channels (Malin and Edgett, 2003;Mangold et al, 2004;Moore and Howard, 2005;Pain et al, 2007;Burr et al, 2009Burr et al, , 2010Williams et al, 2009;Anderson and Bell, 2010;Zimbelman and Griffin, 2010;Le Deit et al, 2010;Weitz et al, 2010;Newsom et al, 2010;Thomson et al, 2011;Ansan et al, 2011;Lefort et al, 2012), eskers (Baker, 2001;Head and Pratt, 2001;Bleacher et al, 2003;Ghatan and Head, 2004;Banks et al, 2009;Williams et al, 2013), or eroded remnants of subsurface dikes (Head et al, 2006). The development of inverted fluvial channels and eskers involves flowing water, and all three of these proposed processes require significant erosion and regional deflation.…”

“…We do not propose that this hypothesis explains all other examples of Martian sinuous ridges. As stated by Williams et al (2013), "The morphological characteristics and geologic context for each sinuous ridge must be assessed to accurately interpret the formation history of the landform and infer associated climatic conditions. "…”