Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-60). Layered deposits atop both Martian poles are thought to preserve a record of past climatic conditions in up to three km of water ice and du...
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ftmit:oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/53113 2023-06-11T04:16:45+02:00 Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars Westbrook, Owen William Maria T. Zuber. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. zma --- 2009 60 p. application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/53113 eng eng Massachusetts Institute of Technology http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/53113 503092373 M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Thesis 2009 ftmit 2023-05-29T08:25:14Z Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-60). Layered deposits atop both Martian poles are thought to preserve a record of past climatic conditions in up to three km of water ice and dust. Just beyond the extent of these south polar layered deposits (SPLD), dozens of impact craters contain large mounds of fill material with distinct similarities to the main layered deposits. Previously identified as outliers of the main SPLD, these deposits could offer clues to the climatic history of the Martian south polar region. We extend previous studies of these features by cataloging all crater deposits found near the south pole and quantifying the physical parameters of both the deposits and their host craters. Using MOLA topography data, MOC and THEMIS imagery, and SHARAD radar sounding data, we characterize the distribution, morphology, and structure of the deposits. In addition, we examine the effect of the crater microenvironment on the formation and persistence of these deposits, exploring the relative importance of solar and eolian processes in shaping their present-day distribution and appearance. We consider the possibility that crater sand dunes may have promoted ice accumulation over time and weigh various explanations for the origins and larger climatic significance of these features. by Own William Westbrook. S.M. Thesis South pole DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) South Pole Westbrook ENVELOPE(-75.442,-75.442,-71.841,-71.841) |
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English |
topic |
Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences |
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Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Westbrook, Owen William Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
topic_facet |
Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences |
description |
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-60). Layered deposits atop both Martian poles are thought to preserve a record of past climatic conditions in up to three km of water ice and dust. Just beyond the extent of these south polar layered deposits (SPLD), dozens of impact craters contain large mounds of fill material with distinct similarities to the main layered deposits. Previously identified as outliers of the main SPLD, these deposits could offer clues to the climatic history of the Martian south polar region. We extend previous studies of these features by cataloging all crater deposits found near the south pole and quantifying the physical parameters of both the deposits and their host craters. Using MOLA topography data, MOC and THEMIS imagery, and SHARAD radar sounding data, we characterize the distribution, morphology, and structure of the deposits. In addition, we examine the effect of the crater microenvironment on the formation and persistence of these deposits, exploring the relative importance of solar and eolian processes in shaping their present-day distribution and appearance. We consider the possibility that crater sand dunes may have promoted ice accumulation over time and weigh various explanations for the origins and larger climatic significance of these features. by Own William Westbrook. S.M. |
author2 |
Maria T. Zuber. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Westbrook, Owen William |
author_facet |
Westbrook, Owen William |
author_sort |
Westbrook, Owen William |
title |
Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
title_short |
Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
title_full |
Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
title_fullStr |
Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Crater ice deposits near the south pole of Mars |
title_sort |
crater ice deposits near the south pole of mars |
publisher |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/53113 |
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zma --- |
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ENVELOPE(-75.442,-75.442,-71.841,-71.841) |
geographic |
South Pole Westbrook |
geographic_facet |
South Pole Westbrook |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/53113 503092373 |
op_rights |
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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1768375303314341888 |