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Rodriguez JAP, Wilhelm MB, Travis B, Kargel JS, Zarroca M, Berman DC, Cohen J, Baker V, Lopez A, Buckner D. Exploring the evidence of Middle Amazonian aquifer sedimentary outburst residues in a Martian chaotic terrain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17524. [PMID: 37853014 PMCID: PMC10584912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The quest for past Martian life hinges on locating surface formations linked to ancient habitability. While Mars' surface is considered to have become cryogenic ~3.7 Ga, stable subsurface aquifers persisted long after this transition. Their extensive collapse triggered megafloods ~3.4 Ga, and the resulting outflow channel excavation generated voluminous sediment eroded from the highlands. These materials are considered to have extensively covered the northern lowlands. Here, we show evidence that a lacustrine sedimentary residue within Hydraotes Chaos formed due to regional aquifer upwelling and ponding into an interior basin. Unlike the northern lowland counterparts, its sedimentary makeup likely consists of aquifer-expelled materials, offering a potential window into the nature of Mars' subsurface habitability. Furthermore, the lake's residue's estimated age is ~1.1 Ga (~3.2 Ga post-peak aquifer drainage during the Late Hesperian), enhancing the prospects for organic matter preservation. This deposit's inferred fine-grained composition, coupled with the presence of coexisting mud volcanoes and diapirs, suggest that its source aquifer existed within abundant subsurface mudstones, water ice, and evaporites, forming part of the region's extremely ancient (~ 4 Ga) highland stratigraphy. Our numerical models suggest that magmatically induced phase segregation within these materials generated enormous water-filled chambers. The meltwater, originating from varying thermally affected mudstone depths, could have potentially harbored diverse biosignatures, which could have become concentrated within the lake's sedimentary residue. Thus, we propose that Hydraotes Chaos merits priority consideration in future missions aiming to detect Martian biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA.
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Bryan Travis
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kargel
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel C Berman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Jacob Cohen
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Victor Baker
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Anthony Lopez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Denise Buckner
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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2
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Rodriguez JAP, Robertson DK, Kargel JS, Baker VR, Berman DC, Cohen J, Costard F, Komatsu G, Lopez A, Miyamoto H, Zarroca M. Evidence of an oceanic impact and megatsunami sedimentation in Chryse Planitia, Mars. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19589. [PMID: 36456647 PMCID: PMC9715952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18082-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1976, NASA's Viking 1 Lander (V1L) was the first spacecraft to operate successfully on the Martian surface. The V1L landed near the terminus of an enormous catastrophic flood channel, Maja Valles. However, instead of the expected megaflood record, its cameras imaged a boulder-strewn surface of elusive origin. We identified a 110-km-diameter impact crater (Pohl) ~ 900 km northeast of the landing site, stratigraphically positioned (a) above catastrophic flood-eroded surfaces formed ~ 3.4 Ga during a period of northern plains oceanic inundation and (b) below the younger of two previously hypothesized megatsunami deposits. These stratigraphic relationships suggest that a marine impact likely formed the crater. Our simulated impact-generated megatsunami run-ups closely match the mapped older megatsunami deposit's margins and predict fronts reaching the V1L site. The site's location along a highland-facing lobe aligned to erosional grooves supports a megatsunami origin. Our mapping also shows that Pohl's knobby rim regionally represents a broader history of megatsunami modification involving circum-oceanic glaciation and sedimentary extrusions extending beyond the recorded megatsunami emplacement in Chryse Planitia. Our findings allow that rocks and soil salts at the landing site are of marine origin, inviting the scientific reconsideration of information gathered from the first in-situ measurements on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Alexis P. Rodriguez
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Darrel K. Robertson
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Kargel
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Victor R. Baker
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XDepartment of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Daniel C. Berman
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Jacob Cohen
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Francois Costard
- grid.503243.3GEOPS-Géosciences Paris Sud, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Goro Komatsu
- grid.412451.70000 0001 2181 4941International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università D’Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
| | - Anthony Lopez
- grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395 USA
| | - Hideaki Miyamoto
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Systems Innovation, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656 Japan
| | - Mario Zarroca
- grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Zarroca M, Roqué C, Linares R, Salminci JG, Gutiérrez F. Natural acid rock drainage in alpine catchments: A side effect of climate warming. Sci Total Environ 2021; 778:146070. [PMID: 33711593 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A historical series of aerial photographs spanning more than 70 years (1945-2018) revealed that natural acid rock drainage (ARD) has experienced an intensification in the Noguera de Vallferrera alpine catchment (Central Pyrenees) due to climate change during the last decade. ARD manifests by the precipitation of whitish aluminum-compounds that strikingly cover the beds of some gullies and streams in high-mountain catchments. The total length of affected streams has increased from ca. 5 km (1945) to more than 35 km (2018). Up to 68 water samples were collected in three main areas to determine the spatial variation in acidity and concentration of dissolved metals, representative of surface and subsurface waters. Concentration of aluminum clearly correlates with acidity of waters. Aluminum precipitation occurs where acidic waters, enriched in metals due ARD related to the oxidation of sulfides, mix with non-acidic waters. In addition to aluminum, other potentially toxic trace metals are present at concentrations well above the quality standards for natural waters. Here, we show that climate warming and the severe droughts recorded in the last decade are the most plausible causes for the observed ARD intensification. This result is supported by a good correlation between the regional ascending rate of the periglacial limits (ca. 46 m-height/decade) and the rising rate of the maximum elevations at which ARD occurs (ca. 45 to 55 m-height/decade). In addition to climatic control, we also show that the local geomorphology is playing a major role. The distribution of periglacial deposits (rock glaciers, protalus ramparts, cones and talus slopes) and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations exert a strong control on the spatial patterns and hydrodynamics of ARD. A better understanding of the phenomenon and the monitoring of its evolution can provide clues on these side effects of climate warming, here and in many other alpine catchments worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Zarroca
- Geology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carles Roqué
- Àrea de Geodinàmica Externa i Geomorfologia, Universitat de Girona, E-17071 Girona, Spain
| | - Rogelio Linares
- Geology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José G Salminci
- Geology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Geology and Environment Department, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), Avenida General Paz 5445, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Gutiérrez
- Earth Sciences Department, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/. Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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Rodriguez JAP, Tanaka KL, Bramson AM, Leonard GJ, Baker VR, Zarroca M. North polar trough formation due to in-situ erosion as a source of young ice in mid-latitudinal mantles on Mars. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6750. [PMID: 33767212 PMCID: PMC7994824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83329-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The clockwise spiral of troughs marking the Martian north polar plateau forms one of the planet’s youngest megastructures. One popular hypothesis posits that the spiral pattern resulted as troughs underwent poleward migration. Here, we show that the troughs are extensively segmented into enclosed depressions (or cells). Many cell interiors display concentric layers that connect pole- and equator-facing slopes, demonstrating in-situ trough erosion. The segmentation patterns indicate a history of gradual trough growth transversely to katabatic wind directions, whereby increases in trough intersections generated their spiral arrangement. The erosional event recorded in the truncated strata and trough segmentation may have supplied up to ~25% of the volume of the mid-latitude icy mantles. Topographically subtle undulations transition into troughs and have distributions that mimic and extend the troughs’ spiraling pattern, indicating that they probably represent buried trough sections. The retention of the spiral pattern in surface and subsurface troughs is consistent with the megastructure’s stabilization before its partial burial. A previously suggested warm paleoclimatic spike indicates that the erosion could have occurred as recently as ~50 Ka. Hence, if the removed ice was redeposited to form the mid-latitude mantles, they could provide a valuable source of near-surface, clean ice for future human exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA.
| | - Kenneth L Tanaka
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, 85719-2395, USA
| | - Ali M Bramson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Gregory J Leonard
- Department of Planetary Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Victor R Baker
- Department of Planetary Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.,Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Rodriguez JAP, Leonard GJ, Kargel JS, Domingue D, Berman DC, Banks M, Zarroca M, Linares R, Marchi S, Baker VR, Webster KD, Sykes M. The Chaotic Terrains of Mercury Reveal a History of Planetary Volatile Retention and Loss in the Innermost Solar System. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4737. [PMID: 32179758 PMCID: PMC7075900 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59885-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury’s images obtained by the 1974 Mariner 10 flybys show extensive cratered landscapes degraded into vast knob fields, known as chaotic terrain (AKA hilly and lineated terrain). For nearly half a century, it was considered that these terrains formed due to catastrophic quakes and ejecta fallout produced by the antipodal Caloris basin impact. Here, we present the terrains’ first geologic examination based on higher spatial resolution MESSENGER (MErcury Surface Space ENvironment GEochemistry and Ranging) imagery and laser altimeter topography. Our surface age determinations indicate that their development persisted until ~1.8 Ga, or ~2 Gyrs after the Caloris basin formed. Furthermore, we identified multiple chaotic terrains with no antipodal impact basins; hence a new geological explanation is needed. Our examination of the Caloris basin’s antipodal chaotic terrain reveals multi-kilometer surface elevation losses and widespread landform retention, indicating an origin due to major, gradual collapse of a volatile-rich layer. Crater interior plains, possibly lavas, share the chaotic terrains’ age, suggesting a development associated with a geothermal disturbance above intrusive magma bodies, which best explains their regionality and the enormity of the apparent volume losses involved in their development. Furthermore, evidence of localized, surficial collapse, might reflect a complementary, and perhaps longer lasting, devolatilization history by solar heating.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Gregory J Leonard
- Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kargel
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Deborah Domingue
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel C Berman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Maria Banks
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA.,NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rogelio Linares
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simone Marchi
- Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St, Suite 300, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Victor R Baker
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Kevin D Webster
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mark Sykes
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ, USA
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6
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Moreno V, Bach J, Zarroca M, Font L, Roqué C, Linares R. Characterization of radon levels in soil and groundwater in the North Maladeta Fault area (Central Pyrenees) and their effects on indoor radon concentration in a thermal spa. J Environ Radioact 2018; 189:1-13. [PMID: 29544141 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Radon levels in the soil and groundwater in the North Maladeta Fault area (located in the Aran Valley sector, Central Pyrenees) are analysed from both geological and radiation protection perspectives. This area is characterized by the presence of two important normal faults: the North Maladeta fault (NMF) and the Tredós Fault (TF). Two primary aspects make this study interesting: (i) the NMF shows geomorphic evidence of neotectonic activity and (ii) the presence of a thermal spa, Banhs de Tredós, which exploits one of the several natural springs of the area and needs to be evaluated for radiation dosing from radon according to the European regulation on basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation. The average soil radon and thoron concentrations along a profile perpendicular to the two normal faults - 22 ± 3 kBq·m-3 and 34 ± 3 kBq·m-3, respectively - are not high and can be compared to the radionuclide content of the granitic rocks of the area, 25 ± 4 Bq·kg-1 for 226Ra and 38 ± 2 Bq·kg-1 for 224Ra. However, the hypothesis that the normal faults are still active is supported by the presence of anomalies in both the soil radon and thoron levels that are unlikely to be of local origin together with the presence of similar anomalies in CO2 fluxes and the fact that the highest groundwater radon values are located close to the normal faults. Additionally, groundwater 222Rn data have complemented the hydrochemistry data, enabling researchers to better distinguish between water pathways in the granitic and non-granitic aquifers. Indoor radon levels in the spa vary within a wide range, [7-1664] Bq·m-3 because the groundwater used in the treatment rooms is the primary source of radon in the air. Tap water radon levels inside the spa present an average value of 50 ± 8 kBq·m-3, which does not exceed the level stipulated by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) of 100 kBq·m-3 for water used for human consumption. This finding implies that even relatively low radon concentration values in water can constitute a relevant indoor radon source when the transfer from water to indoor air is efficient. The estimated effective dose range of values for a spa worker due to radon inhalation is [1-9] mSv·y-1. The use of annual averaged radon concentration values may significantly underestimate the dose in these situations; therefore, a detailed dynamic study must be performed by considering the time that the workers spend in the spa.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Moreno
- Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Dpt. de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cc, Campus UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - J Bach
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Dpt. de Geologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cs, Campus UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Zarroca
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Dpt. de Geologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cs, Campus UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ll Font
- Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Dpt. de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cc, Campus UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Roqué
- Geodinàmica Externa, Dpt. de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, 17071, Girona, Spain
| | - R Linares
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Dpt. de Geologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cs, Campus UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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7
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Linares R, Roqué C, Gutiérrez F, Zarroca M, Carbonel D, Bach J, Fabregat I. The impact of droughts and climate change on sinkhole occurrence. A case study from the evaporite karst of the Fluvia Valley, NE Spain. Sci Total Environ 2017; 579:345-358. [PMID: 27887826 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This work introduces the concept that sinkhole frequency in some karst settings increases during drought periods. This conception is tested in a sector of the Fluvia River valley in NE Spain, where subsidence phenomena is related to the karstification of folded Eocene evaporite formations. In the discharge areas, the evaporites behave as confined aquifers affected by hypogene karstification caused by aggressive artesian flows coming form an underlying carbonate aquifer. A sinkhole inventory with chronological data has been constructed, revealing temporal clusters. Those clusters show a good correlation with drought periods, as revealed by precipitation, river discharge and piezometric data. This temporal association is particularly obvious for the last and current drought starting in 1998, which is the most intense of the record period (1940-present). Climatic projections based on recent studies foresee an intensification of the droughts in this sector of NE Spain, which could be accompanied by the enhancement of the sinkhole hazard and the associated risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogelio Linares
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carles Roqué
- Àrea de Geodinàmica Externa i Geomorfologia, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Francisco Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/. Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Mario Zarroca
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Domingo Carbonel
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/. Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Joan Bach
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivan Fabregat
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/. Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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Rodriguez JAP, Fairén AG, Tanaka KL, Zarroca M, Linares R, Platz T, Komatsu G, Miyamoto H, Kargel JS, Yan J, Gulick V, Higuchi K, Baker VR, Glines N. Tsunami waves extensively resurfaced the shorelines of an early Martian ocean. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25106. [PMID: 27196957 PMCID: PMC4872529 DOI: 10.1038/srep25106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that ~3.4 billion years ago an ocean fed by enormous catastrophic floods covered most of the Martian northern lowlands. However, a persistent problem with this hypothesis is the lack of definitive paleoshoreline features. Here, based on geomorphic and thermal image mapping in the circum-Chryse and northwestern Arabia Terra regions of the northern plains, in combination with numerical analyses, we show evidence for two enormous tsunami events possibly triggered by bolide impacts, resulting in craters ~30 km in diameter and occurring perhaps a few million years apart. The tsunamis produced widespread littoral landforms, including run-up water-ice-rich and bouldery lobes, which extended tens to hundreds of kilometers over gently sloping plains and boundary cratered highlands, as well as backwash channels where wave retreat occurred on highland-boundary surfaces. The ice-rich lobes formed in association with the younger tsunami, showing that their emplacement took place following a transition into a colder global climatic regime that occurred after the older tsunami event. We conclude that, on early Mars, tsunamis played a major role in generating and resurfacing coastal terrains.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alexis P Rodriguez
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid 28850, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kenneth L Tanaka
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Mario Zarroca
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rogelio Linares
- External Geodynamics and Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas Platz
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA.,Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - Goro Komatsu
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d'Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
| | | | - Jeffrey S Kargel
- Department of Hydrology &Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Jianguo Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Virginia Gulick
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Kana Higuchi
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid 28850, Spain
| | - Victor R Baker
- Department of Hydrology &Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Natalie Glines
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
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9
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Moreno V, Bach J, Font L, Baixeras C, Zarroca M, Linares R, Roqué C. Soil radon dynamics in the Amer fault zone: An example of very high seasonal variations. J Environ Radioact 2016; 151 Pt 1:293-303. [PMID: 26551588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Soil radon levels of the Amer fault zone have been measured for a 4 year-period with the aim of checking seasonal fluctuations obtained in previous studies and to understand radon origin and dynamics. In this manuscript additional results are presented: updated continuous and integrated soil radon measurements, radionuclide content of soil materials and a detailed analysis of an urban profile by means of the electrical resistivity imaging technique and punctual soil radon, thoron and CO2 measurements. Integrated and continuous measurements present a wide range of values, [0.2-151.6] kBq m(-3) for radon, [4.5-39.6] kBq m(-3) for thoron and [4.0-71.2] g m(-2) day(-1) for CO2. The highest soil radon levels in the vicinity of the Amer fault (>40 kBq m(-3)) are found close to the fractured areas and present very important fluctuations repeated every year, with values in summer much higher than in winter, confirming previous studies. The highest radon values, up to 150 kBq m(-3), do not have a local origin because the mean value of radium concentration in this soil (19 ± 5 Bq kg(-1)) could not explain these values. Then soil radon migration through the fractures, influenced by atmospheric parameters, is assumed to account for such a high seasonal fluctuation. As main conclusion, in fractured areas, seasonal variations of soil radon concentration can be very important even in places where average soil radon concentration and radium content are not especially high. In these cases the migration capability of the soil is given not by intrinsic permeability but by the fracture structure. Potential risk estimation based on soil radon concentration and intrinsic permeability must be complemented with geological information in fractured systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Moreno
- Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Departament de Física, Edifici Cc, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - J Bach
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Departament de Geologia, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ll Font
- Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Departament de Física, Edifici Cc, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Baixeras
- Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Departament de Física, Edifici Cc, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Zarroca
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Departament de Geologia, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Linares
- Unitat de Geodinàmica Externa i d'Hidrogeologia, Departament de Geologia, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Roqué
- Geodinàmica Externa, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, 17071 Girona, Spain
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Rodriguez JAP, Kargel JS, Baker VR, Gulick VC, Berman DC, Fairén AG, Linares R, Zarroca M, Yan J, Miyamoto H, Glines N. Erratum: Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form and why did they drain so rapidly? Sci Rep 2015; 5:15092. [PMID: 26485057 PMCID: PMC4613371 DOI: 10.1038/srep15092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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