Mars: Periglacial Morphology and Implications for Future Landing Sites

• Main Authors: Schurmeier, Lauren, Heldmann, Jennifer L., Stoker, Carol, Davila, Alfonso, Wilhelm, Mary Beth, Marinova, Margarita, McKay, Christopher
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration; Antarctic; The Antarctic; University Valley; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; permafrost; polar desert
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20150023012

At the Mars Phoenix landing site and in much of the Martian northern plains, there is ice-cemented ground beneath a layer of dry permafrost. Unlike most permafrost on Earth, though, this ice is not liquid at any time of year. However, in past epochs at higher obliquity the surface conditions during...