Geomorphic study of fluvial landforms on the northern Valles Marineris plateau, Mars

Details Geomorphic study of fluvial landforms on the northern Valles Marineris plateau, Mars Geomorphic study of fluvial landforms on the northern Valles Marineris plateau, Mars

Aug 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jgre..11308009m&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue E8, CiteID E08009

Other

21

Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Erosion And Weathering, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Remote Sensing, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface Materials And Properties

Scientific paper

Fluvial landforms are observed on the plateau near Echus Chasma and other locations on the Valles Marineris plateau using high resolution (10 to 50 m/pixel) Mars Express images and topography. Branching valleys have a 20- to 100-m deep V-shape profile typical of fluvial processes. Their incision occurred in a thin (<150 m) and weak, dark unit that overlies the plateau basement. The valleys are distributed close to watershed boundaries as expected for overland flows, and different from pure glacial or hydrothermal processes. The 2D geometry of valley networks show drainage densities reaching 1.3 km-1 that indicate a strong 2D extension stage that usually requires a minimum of thousands of years, as established from terrestrial examples. However, the 3D valley geometry shows a limited incision, and a lack of concavity, suggesting a limited development in time (millions of years of evolution are unlikely). Many outlets connect to the heads of canyons of Echus Chasma that might involve sapping processes. These canyons might have formed coevally with shallow valleys: their difference in geometry is a consequence of the difference in lithology which induced a difference in the erosion capacity, and an enhanced infiltration conducing to sapping. Valleys are submitted to modification by aeolian processes, sometimes leading to the formation of inverted channels as observed more broadly through the region. These landforms formed late in the Early Mars history and might be considered as examples of episodic fluvial events due to short-term climate changes and/or regional fluvial activity after the Noachian.

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