Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance
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 hy...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2732425aca9640f4b4662ae2f9e61435 2023-05-15T16:40:22+02:00 Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance Reid A. Parsons Tomohiro Kanzaki Ryodo Hemmi Hideaki Miyamoto 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 https://doaj.org/article/2732425aca9640f4b4662ae2f9e61435 EN eng SpringerOpen http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 https://doaj.org/toc/2197-4284 doi:10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 2197-4284 https://doaj.org/article/2732425aca9640f4b4662ae2f9e61435 Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-21 (2020) Thermomechanical ice sheet model Mars Amazonian climate Moraine deposition Tharsis Glaciation Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Geology QE1-996.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 2022-12-31T03:50:08Z 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 ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Long Ridge ENVELOPE(73.583,73.583,-53.100,-53.100) Progress in Earth and Planetary Science 7 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Thermomechanical ice sheet model Mars Amazonian climate Moraine deposition Tharsis Glaciation Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Thermomechanical ice sheet model Mars Amazonian climate Moraine deposition Tharsis Glaciation Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Geology QE1-996.5 Reid A. Parsons Tomohiro Kanzaki Ryodo Hemmi Hideaki Miyamoto Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
topic_facet |
Thermomechanical ice sheet model Mars Amazonian climate Moraine deposition Tharsis Glaciation Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
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 ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Reid A. Parsons Tomohiro Kanzaki Ryodo Hemmi Hideaki Miyamoto |
author_facet |
Reid A. Parsons Tomohiro Kanzaki Ryodo Hemmi Hideaki Miyamoto |
author_sort |
Reid A. Parsons |
title |
Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
title_short |
Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
title_full |
Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
title_fullStr |
Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cold-based glaciation of Pavonis Mons, Mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
title_sort |
cold-based glaciation of pavonis mons, mars: evidence for moraine deposition during glacial advance |
publisher |
SpringerOpen |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 https://doaj.org/article/2732425aca9640f4b4662ae2f9e61435 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(73.583,73.583,-53.100,-53.100) |
geographic |
Long Ridge |
geographic_facet |
Long Ridge |
genre |
Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-21 (2020) |
op_relation |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 https://doaj.org/toc/2197-4284 doi:10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 2197-4284 https://doaj.org/article/2732425aca9640f4b4662ae2f9e61435 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-020-0323-9 |
container_title |
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766030764215894016 |