Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history
International audience The unusual 80. km diameter Noachian-aged Asimov crater in Noachis Terra (46°S, 5°E) is characterized by extensive Noachian-Hesperian crater fill and a younger superposed annulus of valleys encircling the margins of the crater floor. These valleys provide an opportunity to stu...
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ftsorbonneuniv:oai:HAL:hal-01136785v1 2024-09-15T17:42:35+00:00 Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history Morgan, G.A. Head, J.W. Forget, François Madeleine, Jean-Baptiste Spiga, Aymeric Department of Geological Sciences Providence Brown University Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD) Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X) Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris)-Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) 2010 https://hal.science/hal-01136785 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 en eng HAL CCSD Elsevier info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 hal-01136785 https://hal.science/hal-01136785 doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 ISSN: 0019-1035 EISSN: 1090-2643 Icarus https://hal.science/hal-01136785 Icarus, 2010, 208 (2), pp.658-666. ⟨10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019⟩ [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2010 ftsorbonneuniv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 2024-08-01T23:46:54Z International audience The unusual 80. km diameter Noachian-aged Asimov crater in Noachis Terra (46°S, 5°E) is characterized by extensive Noachian-Hesperian crater fill and a younger superposed annulus of valleys encircling the margins of the crater floor. These valleys provide an opportunity to study the relationships of gully geomorphology as a function of changing slope orientation relative to solar insolation. We found that the level of development of gullies was highly correlated with slope orientation and solar insolation. The largest and most complex gully systems, with the most well-developed fluvial landforms, are restricted to pole-facing slopes. In contrast, gullies on equator-facing slopes are smaller, more poorly developed and integrated, more highly degraded, and contain more impact craters. We used a 1D version of the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique GCM, and slope geometries (orientation and angle), driven by predicted spin-axis/orbital parameter history, to assess the distribution and history of surface temperatures in these valleys during recent geological history. Surface temperatures on pole-facing slopes preferential for water ice accumulation and subsequent melting are predicted to occur as recently as 0.5-2.1. Ma, which is consistent with age estimates of gully activity elsewhere on Mars. In contrast, the 1D model predicts that water ice cannot accumulate on equator-facing slopes until obliquities exceed 45°, suggesting they are unlikely to have been active over the last 5. Ma. The correlation of the temperature predictions and the geological evidence for age differences suggests that there were two phases of gully formation in the last few million years: an older phase in which top-down melting occurred on equator-facing slopes and a younger more robust phase on pole-facing slopes. The similarities of small-scale fluvial erosion features seen in the gullies on Mars and those observed in gullies cut by seasonal and perennial snowmelt in the Antarctic Dry Valleys supports a top-down ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic HAL Sorbonne Université Icarus 208 2 658 666 |
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Open Polar |
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HAL Sorbonne Université |
op_collection_id |
ftsorbonneuniv |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology |
spellingShingle |
[SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology Morgan, G.A. Head, J.W. Forget, François Madeleine, Jean-Baptiste Spiga, Aymeric Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
topic_facet |
[SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology |
description |
International audience The unusual 80. km diameter Noachian-aged Asimov crater in Noachis Terra (46°S, 5°E) is characterized by extensive Noachian-Hesperian crater fill and a younger superposed annulus of valleys encircling the margins of the crater floor. These valleys provide an opportunity to study the relationships of gully geomorphology as a function of changing slope orientation relative to solar insolation. We found that the level of development of gullies was highly correlated with slope orientation and solar insolation. The largest and most complex gully systems, with the most well-developed fluvial landforms, are restricted to pole-facing slopes. In contrast, gullies on equator-facing slopes are smaller, more poorly developed and integrated, more highly degraded, and contain more impact craters. We used a 1D version of the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique GCM, and slope geometries (orientation and angle), driven by predicted spin-axis/orbital parameter history, to assess the distribution and history of surface temperatures in these valleys during recent geological history. Surface temperatures on pole-facing slopes preferential for water ice accumulation and subsequent melting are predicted to occur as recently as 0.5-2.1. Ma, which is consistent with age estimates of gully activity elsewhere on Mars. In contrast, the 1D model predicts that water ice cannot accumulate on equator-facing slopes until obliquities exceed 45°, suggesting they are unlikely to have been active over the last 5. Ma. The correlation of the temperature predictions and the geological evidence for age differences suggests that there were two phases of gully formation in the last few million years: an older phase in which top-down melting occurred on equator-facing slopes and a younger more robust phase on pole-facing slopes. The similarities of small-scale fluvial erosion features seen in the gullies on Mars and those observed in gullies cut by seasonal and perennial snowmelt in the Antarctic Dry Valleys supports a top-down ... |
author2 |
Department of Geological Sciences Providence Brown University Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD) Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X) Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris)-Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Morgan, G.A. Head, J.W. Forget, François Madeleine, Jean-Baptiste Spiga, Aymeric |
author_facet |
Morgan, G.A. Head, J.W. Forget, François Madeleine, Jean-Baptiste Spiga, Aymeric |
author_sort |
Morgan, G.A. |
title |
Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
title_short |
Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
title_full |
Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
title_fullStr |
Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
title_full_unstemmed |
Gully formation on Mars: Two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
title_sort |
gully formation on mars: two recent phases of formation suggested by links between morphology, slope orientation and insolation history |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-01136785 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
ISSN: 0019-1035 EISSN: 1090-2643 Icarus https://hal.science/hal-01136785 Icarus, 2010, 208 (2), pp.658-666. ⟨10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 hal-01136785 https://hal.science/hal-01136785 doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.019 |
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Icarus |
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208 |
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