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Mapstone LJ, Leite MN, Purton S, Crawford IA, Dartnell L. Cyanobacteria and microalgae in supporting human habitation on Mars. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107946. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Recognition of Sedimentary Rock Occurrences in Satellite and Aerial Images of Other Worlds—Insights from Mars. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13214296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Sedimentary rocks provide records of past surface and subsurface processes and environments. The first step in the study of the sedimentary rock record of another world is to learn to recognize their occurrences in images from instruments aboard orbiting, flyby, or aerial platforms. For two decades, Mars has been known to have sedimentary rocks; however, planet-wide identification is incomplete. Global coverage at 0.25–6 m/pixel, and observations from the Curiosity rover in Gale crater, expand the ability to recognize Martian sedimentary rocks. No longer limited to cases that are light-toned, lightly cratered, and stratified—or mimic original depositional setting (e.g., lithified deltas)—Martian sedimentary rocks include dark-toned examples, as well as rocks that are erosion-resistant enough to retain small craters as well as do lava flows. Breakdown of conglomerates, breccias, and even some mudstones, can produce a pebbly regolith that imparts a “smooth” appearance in satellite and aerial images. Context is important; sedimentary rocks remain challenging to distinguish from primary igneous rocks in some cases. Detection of ultramafic, mafic, or andesitic compositions do not dictate that a rock is igneous, and clast genesis should be considered separately from the depositional record. Mars likely has much more sedimentary rock than previously recognized.
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Parsons RA, Kanzaki T, Hemmi R, Miyamoto H. Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance. PROGRESS IN EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE 2020; 7:13. [PMID: 32382472 PMCID: PMC7194259 DOI: 10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The three large volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars: Arsia, Pavonis, and Ascraeus Montes all have fan-shaped deposits (FSDs) on their northern or western flanks consisting of a combination of parallel ridges, knobby/hummocky terrain, and a smooth, viscous flow-like unit. The FSDs are hypothesized to have formed in the Amazonian during a period of high spin-axis obliquity which redistributed polar ice to the equatorial Tharsis region resulting in thick (> 2 km), flowing ice deposits. Based on previous ice flow simulations and crater surveys, the ridges are interpreted to be recessional drop moraines formed as debris on the ice sheet surface was transported to the ice margin-forming a long ridge sequence over an extended (∼100 Myr) period of ice sheet retreat. We test this hypothesis using a high-resolution, thermomechanical ice sheet model assuming a lower ice loss rate (~ 0.5 mm/year) than prior work based on new experimental results of ice sublimation below a protective debris layer. Our ice flow simulation results, when combined with topographic observations from a long sequence of ridges located interior of the Pavonis FSD, show that the ridged units were more likely deposited during one or more periods of glacial advance (instead of retreat) when repetitive pulses (approx. 120 kyr periodicity) of ice accumulation during high obliquity produced kinematic waves which advected a large volume of surface debris to the ice margin. If ridge deposition does occur during glacial advance, it could explain the cyclic pattern of ridge spacing and would link the dominant, 120 kyr periodicity in obliquity to the time interval between adjacent ridges. By measuring the spacing between these ridges and applying this timescale, we constrain the velocity of glacial margin to be between 0.2 and 4 cm/Earth year-in close agreement with the numerical simulation. This re-interpretation of the FSD ridged unit suggests that the timescale of FSD formation (and perhaps the duration of the Amazonian high obliquity period) was shorter than previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid A. Parsons
- University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7 Chome-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Earth and Geographic Sciences, Fitchburg State University, 160 Pearl St., Fitchburg, MA 01420 USA
| | - Tomohiro Kanzaki
- Department of Systems Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 7 Chome-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Ryodo Hemmi
- University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7 Chome-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyamoto
- Department of Systems Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 7 Chome-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
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Raack J, Conway SJ, Herny C, Balme MR, Carpy S, Patel MR. Water induced sediment levitation enhances downslope transport on Mars. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1151. [PMID: 29075001 PMCID: PMC5658360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
On Mars, locally warm surface temperatures (~293 K) occur, leading to the possibility of (transient) liquid water on the surface. However, water exposed to the martian atmosphere will boil, and the sediment transport capacity of such unstable water is not well understood. Here, we present laboratory studies of a newly recognized transport mechanism: “levitation” of saturated sediment bodies on a cushion of vapor released by boiling. Sediment transport where this mechanism is active is about nine times greater than without this effect, reducing the amount of water required to transport comparable sediment volumes by nearly an order of magnitude. Our calculations show that the effect of levitation could persist up to ~48 times longer under reduced martian gravity. Sediment levitation must therefore be considered when evaluating the formation of recent and present-day martian mass wasting features, as much less water may be required to form such features than previously thought. Downslope sediment transport on Mars is reported, but the transport capacity of unstable water under low pressures is not well understood. Here, the authors present a newly discovered, highly reactive transportation mechanism that is only possible under low pressure environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raack
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Susan J Conway
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Clémence Herny
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew R Balme
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Sabrina Carpy
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Manish R Patel
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.,Space Science and Technology Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
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Harri AM, Genzer M, Kemppinen O, Gomez-Elvira J, Haberle R, Polkko J, Savijärvi H, Rennó N, Rodriguez-Manfredi JA, Schmidt W, Richardson M, Siili T, Paton M, Torre-Juarez MDL, Mäkinen T, Newman C, Rafkin S, Mischna M, Merikallio S, Haukka H, Martin-Torres J, Komu M, Zorzano MP, Peinado V, Vazquez L, Urqui R. Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2014; 119:2132-2147. [PMID: 26213667 PMCID: PMC4508910 DOI: 10.1002/2013je004514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. KEY POINTS Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppmMSL relative humidity observation provides good dataHighest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75.
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Affiliation(s)
- A-M Harri
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Genzer
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - O Kemppinen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - R Haberle
- NASA AMES Research Center San Francisco, California, USA
| | - J Polkko
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Savijärvi
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - N Rennó
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - W Schmidt
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - T Siili
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Paton
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - T Mäkinen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - C Newman
- Ashima Research Inc. Pasadena, California, USA
| | - S Rafkin
- Southwest Research Institute Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - M Mischna
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California, USA
| | - S Merikallio
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Haukka
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - M Komu
- Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - V Peinado
- Centro de Astrobiologia Madrid, Spain
| | - L Vazquez
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Complutense University of Madrid Madrid, Spain
| | - R Urqui
- Centro de Astrobiologia Madrid, Spain
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An Alternative Approach to Mapping Thermophysical Units from Martian Thermal Inertia and Albedo Data Using a Combination of Unsupervised Classification Techniques. REMOTE SENSING 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/rs6065184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Briggs G, Klaasen K, Thorpe T, Wellman J, Baum W. Martian dynamical phenomena during June-November 1976: Viking Orbiter imaging results. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/js082i028p04121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Pollack JB, Colburn D, Kahn R, Hunter J, Van Camp W, Carlston CE, Wolf MR. Properties of aerosols in the Martian atmosphere, as inferred from Viking Lander imaging data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/js082i028p04479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Hess SL, Henry RM, Leovy CB, Ryan JA, Tillman JE. Meteorological results from the surface of Mars: Viking 1 and 2. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/js082i028p04559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kieffer HH, Martin TZ, Peterfreund AR, Jakosky BM, Miner ED, Palluconi FD. Thermal and albedo mapping of Mars during the Viking primary mission. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/js082i028p04249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 535] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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11
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Masursky H, Boyce JM, Dial AL, Schaber GG, Strobell ME. Classification and time of formation of Martian channels based on Viking data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/js082i028p04016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Pollack JB, Haberle RM, Murphy JR, Schaeffer J, Lee H. Simulations of the general circulation of the Martian Atmosphere: 2. Seasonal pressure variations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/92je02947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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13
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Christensen PR, Zurek RW. Martian north polar hazes and surface ice: Results from the Viking Survey/Completion Mission. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/jb089ib06p04587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Clark RN, McCord TB. Mars residual north polar cap: Earth-based spectroscopic confirmation of water ice as a major constituent and evidence for hydrated minerals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/jb087ib01p00367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Davies DW, Farmer CB, Laporte DD. Behavior of volatiles in Mars' polar areas: A model incorporating new experimental data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/jb082i026p03815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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16
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Mora MF, Stockton AM, Willis PA. Microchip capillary electrophoresis instrumentation for in situ analysis in the search for extraterrestrial life. Electrophoresis 2012; 33:2624-38. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201200102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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17
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Maurice S, Feldman W, Diez B, Gasnault O, Lawrence DJ, Pathare A, Prettyman T. Mars Odyssey neutron data: 1. Data processing and models of water-equivalent-hydrogen distribution. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Pham LBS, Karatekin O, Dehant V. Effects of meteorite impacts on the atmospheric evolution of Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2009; 9:45-54. [PMID: 19317624 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2008.0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Early in its history, Mars probably had a denser atmosphere with sufficient greenhouse gases to sustain the presence of stable liquid water at the surface. Impacts by asteroids and comets would have played a significant role in the evolution of the martian atmosphere, not only by causing atmospheric erosion but also by delivering material and volatiles to the planet. We investigate the atmospheric loss and the delivery of volatiles with an analytical model that takes into account the impact simulation results and the flux of impactors given in the literature. The atmospheric loss and the delivery of volatiles are calculated to obtain the atmospheric pressure evolution. Our results suggest that the impacts alone cannot satisfactorily explain the loss of significant atmospheric mass since the Late Noachian (approximately 3.7-4 Ga). A period with intense bombardment of meteorites could have increased the atmospheric loss; but to explain the loss of a speculative massive atmosphere in the Late Noachian, other factors of atmospheric erosion and replenishment also need to be taken into account.
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Montmessin F, Gondet B, Bibring JP, Langevin Y, Drossart P, Forget F, Fouchet T. Hyperspectral imaging of convective CO2ice clouds in the equatorial mesosphere of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Abstract
Prokaryotic extremophiles were the first representatives of life on Earth and they are responsible for the genesis of geological structures during the evolution and creation of all currently known ecosystems. Flexibility of the genome probably allowed life to adapt to a wide spectrum of extreme environments. As a result, modern prokaryotic diversity formed in a framework of physico-chemical factors, and it is composed of: thermophilic, psychrophilic, acidophilic, alkaliphilic, halophilic, barophilic, and radioresistant species. This artificial systematics cannot reflect the multiple actions of different environmental factors since one organism could unite characteristics of several extreme-groups. In this review we show the current status of studies in all fields of extremophiles and summarize the limits of life for different species of microbial extremophiles. We also discuss the finding of extremophiles from unusual places such as soils, and briefly review recent studies of microfossils in meteorites in the context of the significance of microbial extremophiles to Astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Pikuta
- National Space Sciences and Technology Center, NASA, Astrobiology Laboratory, Huntsville, Alabama 35805, USA.
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Montmessin F, Haberle RM, Forget F, Langevin Y, Clancy RT, Bibring JP. On the origin of perennial water ice at the south pole of Mars: A precession-controlled mechanism? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Montmessin
- Space Science Division; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field USA
| | - R. M. Haberle
- Space Science Division; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field USA
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; CNRS, IPSL, UPMC; Paris France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay Campus France
| | | | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay Campus France
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Langevin Y, Bibring JP, Montmessin F, Forget F, Vincendon M, Douté S, Poulet F, Gondet B. Observations of the south seasonal cap of Mars during recession in 2004-2006 by the OMEGA visible/near-infrared imaging spectrometer on board Mars Express. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - F. Montmessin
- Service d'Aéronomie; CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Verrières-le-Buisson France
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Paris France
| | - M. Vincendon
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - S. Douté
- Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble; CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier; Grenoble France
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
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Pelkey SM, Mustard JF, Murchie S, Clancy RT, Wolff M, Smith M, Milliken R, Bibring JP, Gendrin A, Poulet F, Langevin Y, Gondet B. CRISM multispectral summary products: Parameterizing mineral diversity on Mars from reflectance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Pelkey
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - J. F. Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - S. Murchie
- Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel Maryland USA
| | | | - M. Wolff
- Space Science Institute; Boulder Colorado USA
| | - M. Smith
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt Maryland USA
| | - R. Milliken
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | | | - A. Gendrin
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
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26
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Fishbaugh KE, Hvidberg CS. Martian north polar layered deposits stratigraphy: Implications for accumulation rates and flow. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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van Gasselt S, Reiss D, Thorpe AK, Neukum G. Seasonal variations of polygonal thermal contraction crack patterns in a south polar trough, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. van Gasselt
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - D. Reiss
- Institute of Planetary Research; German Aerospace Center; Berlin Germany
| | | | - G. Neukum
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
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29
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Langevin Y, Poulet F, Bibring JP, Schmitt B, Douté S, Gondet B. Summer evolution of the north polar cap of Mars as observed by OMEGA/Mars Express. Science 2005; 307:1581-4. [PMID: 15718426 DOI: 10.1126/science.1109438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activité (OMEGA) visible-infrared imaging spectrometer extensively observed regions of Mars with latitudes above 70 degrees N in late 2004 (heliocentric longitude from Ls 93 degrees to Ls 127 degrees ). The extent of water ice at the surface and the size of ice grains were monitored as a function of time. Bright, small-grained frost, which initially covered a large fraction of the polar cap, waned in favor of large-grained ice. In outlying regions, dominated by large-grained ice, the albedo increased over the period. Evaluating the dust content was model dependent. However, contamination of ice by dust was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS-Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France.
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31
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Leverington DW. Volcanic rilles, streamlined islands, and the origin of outflow channels on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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32
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Mitrofanov IG, Zuber MT, Litvak ML, Boynton WV, Smith DE, Drake D, Hamara D, Kozyrev AS, Sanin AB, Shinohara C, Saunders RS, Tretyakov V. CO2 snow depth and subsurface water-ice abundance in the northern hemisphere of Mars. Science 2003; 300:2081-4. [PMID: 12829779 DOI: 10.1126/science.1084350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Observations of seasonal variations of neutron flux from the high-energy neutron detector (HEND) on Mars Odyssey combined with direct measurements of the thickness of condensed carbon dioxide by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on Mars Global Surveyor show a latitudinal dependence of northern winter deposition of carbon dioxide. The observations are also consistent with a shallow substrate consisting of a layer with water ice overlain by a layer of drier soil. The lower ice-rich layer contains between 50 and 75 weight % water, indicating that the shallow subsurface at northern polar latitudes on Mars is even more water rich than that in the south.
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Affiliation(s)
- I G Mitrofanov
- Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
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33
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Christensen PR. Formation of recent martian gullies through melting of extensive water-rich snow deposits. Nature 2003; 422:45-8. [PMID: 12594459 DOI: 10.1038/nature01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2002] [Accepted: 01/14/2003] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The observation of gullies on Mars indicates the presence of liquid water near the surface in recent times, which is difficult to reconcile with the current cold climate. Gullies have been proposed to form through surface runoff from subsurface aquifers or through melting of near-surface ice under warmer conditions. But these gullies are observed to occur preferentially in cold mid-latitudes, where the presence of liquid water is less likely, and on isolated surfaces where groundwater seepage would not be expected, making both potential explanations unsatisfactory. Here I show that gullies can form by the melting of water-rich snow that has been transported from the poles to mid-latitudes during periods of high obliquity within the past 10(5) to 10(6) years (refs 5, 6). Melting within this snow can generate sufficient water to erode gullies in about 5,000 years. My proposed model for gully formation is consistent with the age and location of the gullies, and it explains the occurrence of liquid water in the cold mid-latitudes as well as on isolated surfaces. Remnants of the snowpacks are still present on mid-latitude, pole-facing slopes, and the recent or current occurrence of liquid water within them provides a potential abode for life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip R Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences, Campus Box 876305, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6305, USA.
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Abstract
In their pioneering work, Leighton and Murray argued that the Mars atmosphere, which at present is 95% carbon dioxide, is controlled by vapor equilibrium with a much larger polar reservoir of solid carbon dioxide. Here we argue that the polar reservoir is small and cannot function as a long-term buffer to the more massive atmosphere. Our work is based on modeling of the circular depressions commonly found on the south polar cap. We argue that a carbon dioxide ice layer about 8 meters thick is being etched away to reveal water ice underneath. This is consistent with thermal infrared data from the Mars Odyssey mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Byrne
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Jakosky BM, Nealson KH, Bakermans C, Ley RE, Mellon MT. Subfreezing activity of microorganisms and the potential habitability of Mars' polar regions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2003; 3:343-350. [PMID: 14577883 DOI: 10.1089/153110703769016433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The availability of water-ice at the surface in the Mars polar cap and within the top meter of the high-latitude regolith raises the question of whether liquid water can exist there under some circumstances and possibly support the existence of biota. We examine the minimum temperatures at which liquid water can exist at ice grain-dust grain and ice grain-ice grain contacts, the minimum subfreezing temperatures at which terrestrial organisms can grow or multiply, and the maximum temperatures that can occur in martian high-latitude and polar regions, to see if there is overlap. Liquid water can exist at grain contacts above about -20 degrees C. Measurements of growth in organisms isolated from Siberian permafrost indicate growth at -10 degrees C and metabolism at -20 degrees C. Mars polar and high-latitude temperatures rise above -20 degrees C at obliquities greater than ~40 degrees, and under some conditions rise above 0 degrees C. Thus, the environment in the Mars polar regions has overlapped habitable conditions within relatively recent epochs, and Mars appears to be on the edge of being habitable at present. The easy accessibility of the polar surface layer relative to the deep subsurface make these viable locations to search for evidence of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce M Jakosky
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
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MacClune KL. Glaciers of the McMurdo dry valleys: Terrestrial analog for Martian polar sublimation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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37
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Nakamura T, Tajika E. Stability of the Martian climate system under the seasonal change condition of solar radiation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takasumi Nakamura
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science; University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
| | - Eiichi Tajika
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science; University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
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Mitrofanov I, Anfimov D, Kozyrev A, Litvak M, Sanin A, Tret'yakov V, Krylov A, Shvetsov V, Boynton W, Shinohara C, Hamara D, Saunders RS. Maps of subsurface hydrogen from the high energy neutron detector, Mars Odyssey. Science 2002; 297:78-81. [PMID: 12040089 DOI: 10.1126/science.1073616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
After 55 days of mapping by the High Energy Neutron Detector onboard Mars Odyssey, we found deficits of high-energy neutrons in the southern highlands and northern lowlands of Mars. These deficits indicate that hydrogen is concentrated in the subsurface. Modeling suggests that water ice-rich layers that are tens of centimeters in thickness provide one possible fit to the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Mitrofanov
- Institute for Space Research, Moscow 117997, Russia
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39
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Boynton WV, Feldman WC, Squyres SW, Prettyman TH, Bruckner J, Evans LG, Reedy RC, Starr R, Arnold JR, Drake DM, Englert PAJ, Metzger AE, Mitrofanov I, Trombka JI, D'Uston C, Wanke H, Gasnault O, Hamara DK, Janes DM, Marcialis RL, Maurice S, Mikheeva I, Taylor GJ, Tokar R, Shinohara C. Distribution of hydrogen in the near surface of Mars: evidence for subsurface ice deposits. Science 2002; 297:81-5. [PMID: 12040090 DOI: 10.1126/science.1073722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 753] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Using the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer on the Mars Odyssey, we have identified two regions near the poles that are enriched in hydrogen. The data indicate the presence of a subsurface layer enriched in hydrogen overlain by a hydrogen-poor layer. The thickness of the upper layer decreases with decreasing distance to the pole, ranging from a column density of about 150 grams per square centimeter at -42 degrees latitude to about 40 grams per square centimeter at -77 degrees. The hydrogen-rich regions correlate with regions of predicted ice stability. We suggest that the host of the hydrogen in the subsurface layer is ice, which constitutes 35 +/- 15% of the layer by weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- W V Boynton
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Malin MC, Caplinger MA, Davis SD. Observational evidence for an active surface reservoir of solid carbon dioxide on Mars. Science 2001; 294:2146-8. [PMID: 11768358 DOI: 10.1126/science.1066416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution images of the south polar residual cap of Mars acquired in 1999 and 2001 show changes in the configuration of pits, intervening ridges, and isolated mounds. Escarpments have retreated 1 to 3 meters in 1 martian year, changes that are an order of magnitude larger than can be explained by the sublimation of water ice, but close to what is expected for sublimation of carbon dioxide ice. These observations support a 35-year-old conjecture that Mars has a large surface reservoir of solid carbon dioxide. The erosion implies that this reservoir is not in equilibrium with the present environment and that global climate change is occurring on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Malin
- Malin Space Science Systems, Post Office Box 910148, SanDiego, CA 92191-0148, USA
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41
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Abstract
Using topography collected over one martian year from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft, we have measured temporal changes in the elevation of the martian surface that correlate with the seasonal cycle of carbon dioxide exchange between the surface and atmosphere. The greatest elevation change (1.5 to 2 meters) occurs at high latitudes ( above 80 degrees ), whereas the bulk of the mass exchange occurs at lower latitudes (below 75 degrees N and below 73 degrees S). An unexpected period of sublimation was observed during northern hemisphere autumn, coincident with dust storms in the southern hemisphere. Analysis of MGS Doppler tracking residuals revealed temporal variations in the flattening of Mars that correlate with elevation changes. The combined changes in gravity and elevation constrain the average density of seasonally deposited carbon dioxide to be 910 +/- 230 kilograms per cubic meter, which is considerably denser than terrestrial snow.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Smith
- Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Paige
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Fishbaugh KE, Head JW. North polar region of Mars: Topography of circumpolar deposits from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data and evidence for asymmetric retreat of the polar cap. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kieffer HH, Titus TN, Mullins KF, Christensen PR. Mars south polar spring and summer behavior observed by TES: Seasonal cap evolution controlled by frost grain size. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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45
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Herkenhoff KE, Vasavada AR. Dark material in the polar layered deposits and dunes on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1998je000589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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46
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Zuber MT, Smith DE, Solomon SC, Abshire JB, Afzal RS, Aharonson O, Fishbaugh K, Ford PG, Frey HV, Garvin JB, Head JW, Ivanov AB, Johnson CL, Muhleman DO, Neumann GA, Pettengill GH, Phillips RJ, Sun X, Zwally HJ, Banerdt WB, Duxbury TC. Observations of the north polar region of Mars from the Mars orbiter laser altimeter. Science 1998; 282:2053-60. [PMID: 9851922 DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5396.2053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Elevations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) have been used to construct a precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The northern ice cap has a maximum elevation of 3 kilometers above its surroundings but lies within a 5-kilometer-deep hemispheric depression that is contiguous with the area into which most outflow channels emptied. Polar cap topography displays evidence of modification by ablation, flow, and wind and is consistent with a primarily H2O composition. Correlation of topography with images suggests that the cap was more spatially extensive in the past. The cap volume of 1.2 x 10(6) to 1.7 x 10(6) cubic kilometers is about half that of the Greenland ice cap. Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of CO2 that condensed out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many clouds exhibit dynamical structure likely caused by the interaction of propagating wave fronts with surface topography.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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47
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Malin MC, Carr MH, Danielson GE, Davies ME, Hartmann WK, Ingersoll AP, James PB, Masursky H, McEwen AS, Soderblom LA, Thomas P, Veverka J, Caplinger MA, Ravine MA, Soulanille TA, Warren JL. Early views of the martian surface from the Mars Orbiter Camera of Mars Global Surveyor. Science 1998; 279:1681-5. [PMID: 9497280 DOI: 10.1126/science.279.5357.1681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution images of the martian surface at scales of a few meters show ubiquitous erosional and depositional eolian landforms. Dunes, sandsheets, and drifts are prevalent and exhibit a range of morphology, composition (inferred from albedo), and age (as seen in occurrences of different dune orientations at the same location). Steep walls of topographic depressions such as canyons, valleys, and impact craters show the martian crust to be stratified at scales of a few tens of meters. The south polar layered terrain and superposed permanent ice cap display diverse surface textures that may reflect the complex interplay of volatile and non-volatile components. Low resolution regional views of the planet provide synoptic observations of polar cap retreat, condensate clouds, and the lifecycle of local and regional dust storms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Malin
- Malin Space Science Systems, Post Office Box 910148, San Diego, CA 92191-0148, USA
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50
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Wolff MJ, Lee SW, Clancy RT, Martin LJ, Bell JF, James PB. 1995 observations of Martian dust storms using the Hubble Space Telescope. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1029/96je03417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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