Grid Mapping the Northern Plains of Mars: Geomorphological, Radar, and Water‐Equivalent Hydrogen Results From Arcadia Plantia

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
• Main Authors: Ramsdale, Jason, Balme, Matthew, Gallagher, Colman, Conway, Susan J., Smith, Isaac, Hauber, Ernst, Orgel, Csilla, Séjourné, Antoine, Costard, F., Eke, Vince, Gasselt, Stephan, Johnsson, Andreas, Kereszturi, Ákos, Losiak, Anna, Massey, Richard, Platz, Thomas, Reiss, Dennis, Skinner, James, Swirad, Zuzanna, Teodoro, Luis, Wilson, Jack
• Other Authors: School of Physical Sciences Milton Keynes, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Milton Keynes, The Open University Milton Keynes (OU)-The Open University Milton Keynes (OU), Univ Coll Dublin, UCD Sch Geog, UCD Earth Inst, Dublin, Ireland, Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique UMR 6112 (LPG), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (UN UFR ST), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Planetary Science Institute Tucson (PSI), DLR Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Geological Sciences Berlin, Department of Earth Sciences Berlin, Free University of Berlin (FU)-Free University of Berlin (FU), Géosciences Paris Sud (GEOPS), Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Durham University, Department of Earth Sciences Gothenburg, Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg (GU), Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences Budapest, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Polish Acad Sci, Inst Geol Sci, Wroclaw, Poland, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster = University of Münster (WWU), Arizona Geological Survey, Space Science and Astrobiology Division at Ames, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Laurel, MD (APL)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02089991; https://hal.science/hal-02089991/document; https://hal.science/hal-02089991/file/HAL_Ramsdale_et_al_JGR_2019.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005663

International audience A project of mapping ice-related landforms was undertaken to understand the role of subsurface ice in the northern plains. This work is the first continuous regional mapping from CTX (ConTeXt Camera, 6m/pixel; Malin et al., ) imagery in Arcadia Planitia along a strip 300km across stretching from 30 degrees N to 80 degrees N centered on the 170 degrees W line of longitude. The distribution and morphotypes of these landforms were used to understand the permafrost cryolithology. The mantled and textured signatures occur almost ubiquitously between 35 degrees N and 78 degrees N and have a positive spatial correlation with inferred ice stability based on thermal modeling, neutron spectroscopy, and radar data. The degradational features into the LDM (latitude-dependent mantle) include pits, scallops, and 100-m polygons and provide supporting evidence for subsurface ice and volatile loss between 35 and 70 degrees N in Arcadia with the mantle between 70 and 78 degrees N appearing much more intact. Pitted terrain appears to be much more pervasive in Arcadia than in Acidalia and Utopia suggesting that the Arcadia study area had more widespread near-surface subsurface ice and thus was more susceptible to pitting or that the ice was less well buried by sediments. Correlations with ice stability models suggest that lack of pits north of 65-70 degrees N could indicate a relatively young age (similar to 1Ma); however, this could also be explained through regional variations in degradation rates. The deposition of the LDM is consistent with an air fall hypothesis; however, there appears to be substantial evidence for fluvial processes in southern Arcadia with older, underlying processes being equally dominant with the LDM and degradation thereof in shaping the landscape.Plain Language Summary We mapped ice-related landforms In Arcadia on the northern plains of Mars. This was the first continuous map at this scale. The maps of these ice related landforms were used to understand the role of ice has in ...