Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.1501w&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #15.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.409
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Liquid water emanating from a subsurface aquifer has been proposed as a possible explanation for the formation of gully features on Mars. In this scenario, a correlation may be expected between the locations of gullies and regionally downward sloping terrain due to the resultant hydraulic gradient. To further test the shallow aquifer model we undertook a comprehensive survey of gully orientation angles and the corresponding regional topographic trends using 757 Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images from mission phases AB1-S10 showing gullies in 535 individual craters. Gullies were found to be present at all orientations in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The angular extent of regional topography sloping downward toward craters containing gullies was also measured for crater walls that were significantly imaged by MOC narrow angle images. When comparing this angular extent to the orientation angle of individual gullies on crater walls, a 68% correlation is found. This positive correlation as well as the observation that gullies are found at all orientation angles at all latitudes could suggest that regional topography, rather than insolation, plays a critical role in the formation of gullies. Regional downsloping topography provides a mechanism for water flow towards the gully sites through a gravity induced hydraulic gradient, which is consistent with gully formation through release of water trapped in a shallow aquifer.
Allen T. L.
Heldmann Jennifer L.
Wilhelm Mary Beth
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