An Ice Flow Model of the North Polar Martian Ice Cap

Physics

Scientific paper

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Mars Surface, Ice, Mars (Planet), Polar Caps, Polar Regions, Models, Topography, Escarpments, Ablation, Gravitational Effects, Flow Distribution

Scientific paper

The north polar ice cap on Mars has been mapped with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The surface of the ice cap rises about 2800 m above the surrounding surface. The appearance of the ice cap surface is dominated by an irregular spiral structure around two smooth centers. A large valley, Chasma Boreale, separates the two centers into a large elliptically shaped part which is centered at the pole, and a smaller part with a lengthy shape. The spiral structure appears as a results of a pattern of pronounced troughs and scarps at the surface. The steep, equator-facing scarps are dark due to a high dust concentration on the surface, while the more plane, pole-facing (or horizontal) terraces are light. The scarps have been related to a pattern of accumulation and ablation over the surface, with ablation along the dark, equator-facing scarps and accumulation along the light more plane terraces. Assuming that the ice flows, a model was proposed, which explains the spiral structure as a result of the accumulation and ablation pattern over the ice cap, and qualitatively relates the scarps and the troughs to ice flow. In this work, the ice flow in the northern cap is modelled. The flow model includes longitudinal stresses, and consider the effects from the ice temperature, which may be widely different from surface to bottom. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

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