Active Hydrogeomorphic Processes and the Formation of Dark Slope Streaks on Mars

Details Active Hydrogeomorphic Processes and the Formation of Dark Slope Streaks on Mars Active Hydrogeomorphic Processes and the Formation of Dark Slope Streaks on Mars

Dec 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agufm.p12a0363f&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2002, abstract #P12A-0363

Mathematics

Logic

1824 Geomorphology (1625), 1829 Groundwater Hydrology, 1899 General Or Miscellaneous, 5499 General Or Miscellaneous

Scientific paper

Mars Orbital Camera images reveal concentrations of dark slope streaks non-uniformly distributed within the equatorial region of Mars, where Late Hesperian and younger magmatic, tectonic, and fluvial activity often dominate the geologic record. Although originally ascribed to wet debris flows, all of the hypotheses published in the last ~18 years have focused on these features being solely the result of eolian or dry mass-wasting processes, excluding a role for water. In light of (1) the information provided from the Mars Global Surveyor (i.e., high-resolution imagery and topography), (2) the correlation of dark slope streak concentrations to specific geologic environments and histories portrayed in published research, and (3) geomorphic and hydrologic considerations, we hypothesize that eolian or dry mass-wasting and aqueous processes represent endpoints on a continuum of progenitors for the formation of dark slope streaks. In our hypothesis, the hydrogeomorphic features result from artesian spring discharge, hypersaline aquifers, or any combination thereof. Due to observations of dark slope streak features appearing on annual and decadal time scales, and their inferred fading over time, a spring discharge origin for the formation of the dark slope streaks has profound implications. Specifically, that Mars has limited, but currently active, hydrogeomorphic processes acting on its surface. Although the Mars Odyssey's Gamma Ray Spectrometer lacks the resolution to detect these features, its discovery of large amounts of near-surface ice provides further support for our hypothesis.

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