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Gully Formation, Periglacial Processes and Possible Near-surface Ground-ice in Utopia Planitia
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Soare, Richard J. Tseung, J.-M. Wan Bun Osinski, Gordon R. |
| Copyright Year | 2006 |
| Abstract | Introduction: Speculation concerning the presence of near-surface ground-ice and of associated features on Mars dates back to the coarsely-resolved images of the Mariner missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s [1][2]. Recently, the identification of crater-wall gullies in polar and near-polar regions of Mars [3][4][5][6][7] and of high levels of water-equivalent hydrogen in these regions [8][9] has renewed debate about the presence of near-surface ground-ice and its possible influence on landform development. Here, we show crater-wall gullies in Utopia Planitia [UP], point to landforms suggesting that nearsurface ground-ice extends tens of metres to depth in the UP landscape and argue that gully formation could be related to the melting of this near-surface groundice during periods of high obliquity. Gullies in Utopia Planitia: Small, sharply-incised gullies occur on the walls of some impact craters in UP (Fig. 1). They comprise three components: 1. narrow, elongated (~1.3-1.9km in length) and steeply-sided alcoves (~15-65m in diam.), indicative of strong topographic or stratigraphic control; 2. sinuous channels that anastamose on occasion; and, 3. depositional aprons that vary widely in shape and symmetry. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2006/pdf/1666.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
