Search Publications
Global comparative basin hypsometric analysis of Earth and Mars: Implications for early Mars climate
Fang, J.; Luo, W.; Howard, A. D. +3 more
While there is a consensus that water played at least some role in the formation of various Martian landforms, including valley networks (VNs), the specific mechanisms and climate conditions are still debated. Basin hypsometric curves, reflecting elevation distributions, offer insights into past processes and climates. Our study presents a global-…
The hydrology of the Jezero crater paleolake: Implications for the climate and limnology of the lake system from hydrological modeling
Horvath, David G.; Andrews-Hanna, Jeffrey C.
The lake stages in Jezero are consistent with semiarid climates The Jezero lake was a throughflow lake driven by significant surface runoff Hydrological conditions do not favor large-scale evaporite deposition Similar climates at Jezero and Gale produce contrasting lacustrine environments
Periodic Bedrock Ridges at Oxia Planum and Chryse Planitia, Mars: Evidence for widespread aeolian erosion of an ancient surface by regional paleowinds
Fawdon, Peter; Grindrod, Peter M.; Balme, Matthew R. +4 more
Periodic Bedrock Ridges (PBRs) are repeating, symmetrical, wind-transverse, bedrock-abraded linear ridges that occur on Mars as parallel sets. Here, we extend our previous survey of PBRs at Oxia Planum - the landing site of ESA's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover - to include three additional sites along the margins of the circum-Chryse basin to und…
The evolution of Martian fissure eruptions and their plumbing systems
Pieterek, Bartosz; Jones, Thomas J.
On Earth, the investigation of fissure eruptions and their deposits provide fundamental insights into the evolution of the subsurface volcanic plumbing system. On Mars, we have limited evidence of the spatiotemporal evolution of fissure-fed volcanic systems, and thus the processes operating within their subsurface-feeding dykes remain poorly under…
Assessing the role of clay and salts on the origin of MARSIS basal bright reflections
Orosei, Roberto; Caprarelli, Graziella; Pettinelli, Elena +7 more
Anomalously bright basal reflections detected by MARSIS at Ultimi Scopuli have been interpreted to indicate the presence of water-saturated materials or ponded liquid water at the base of the South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD). Because conventional models assume basal temperatures (≤200 K) much lower than the melting point of water, this interpre…
Aeolian disruption and reworking of TARs at the Zhurong rover field site, southern Utopia Planitia, Mars
Lu, Yu; Wu, Bo; Edgett, Kenneth S. +6 more
China's Zhurong rover explored four crescent-shaped TARs during the first 107 sols. The crust formed by accumulation and induration of aeolian dust makes TARs light-toned in orbiter images. Two TARs degraded into smaller megaripples due to a change of wind regime. TARs might share similar formation and evolution mechanisms with megaripples.
Has the impact flux of small and large asteroids varied through time on Mars, the Earth and the Moon?
Benedix, Gretchen K.; Lagain, Anthony; Kreslavsky, Mikhail +6 more
The impact flux over the last 3 Ga in the inner Solar System is commonly assumed to be constant through time due to insufficient data to warrant a different choice for this range of time. However, asteroid break-up events in the main belt may have been responsible for cratering spikes over the last ∼2 Ga on the Earth-Moon system. Due to its proxim…
Insights into the subsurface structure of wrinkle ridges on Mars
Karagoz, Oguzcan; Kenkmann, Thomas; Wulf, Gerwin
Wrinkle ridges are important landforms on Mars and other planetary bodies and result from horizontal tectonic shortening. This study provides insights into the subsurface of selected wrinkle ridge sites, based on exposures provided by steep escarpments and crater slopes that crosscut wrinkle ridges. We mapped the complex fold and fault patterns an…
Did Martian valley networks substantially modify the landscape?
Grau Galofre, Anna; Jellinek, A. Mark; Bahia, Rickbir Singh +2 more
Valley networks are ancient drainage systems incised on the southern hemisphere of Mars, and stand as evidence that liquid water once sculpted its surface. The duration of valley network activity and the sources of water are key questions in deciphering the timing of water stability on early Mars, but remain poorly constrained. In this study we ad…
Martian fan deposits: Insights on depositional processes and origin from mass balance survey
Hynek, Brian M.; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Di Achille, Gaetano +2 more
Fan deposits located at the mouths of Martian valleys have been interpreted as indicators of wet conditions during Mars history. However, the processes, time and amount of water needed to carve the valleys and form the fans are still debated. Here we present a detailed morphometric and mass balance analysis of valleys and fan-shaped deposits using…