Quasi-periodic climatic changes on Mars and earth

• Main Authors: Cutts, J. A., Pollack, J. B., Toon, O. B., Howard, A. D.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1981
• Subjects: 91; Ice cap
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19820029715

Evidence of climatic changes on Mars and the earth due to geologic and astronomical variations is discussed. Finely striped ice-free bands in the Martian polar caps have been taken to indicate that long term variations in the orbit and axial tilt of Mars have precipitated these features at the rate of a mm/yr. Photogrammetric and photometric methods have contributed to measurements of the composition and depth of the Martian caps (14-46 m), and observations of higher solar energy absorption in the northern ice cap implies greater dust deposition in that region than on the south cap; however, the transport mechanisms are not well understood. Comparisons of earth and Martian climatic variations data are made, noting a lack of information on the age intervals of marine and nonmarine sediments on the earth. The possibilities of using quantitative data other than layer thickness to constrain climate models are discussed, and the slope or albedo of layers, or the spacing of polar undulations are suggested.