Dry grains can mimic Martian geological features attributed to liquid flow

Physics – Fluid Dynamics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Over the last decade or more, contradictory evidence of Martian climate - indicating that surface temperatures seldom if ever approach the melting point of water - and geomorphic features - consistent with liquid flows - have been difficult to reconcile. In this talk, we demonstrate that classic features of liquid-erosional flows can be produced by dry granular materials when particle settling speeds become comparable with characteristic flow speeds. These features include sharp-walled channels, broad aprons, and originating alcoves that bear a superficial similarity to (much larger scale) photographs and altimeter data obtained from recent Mars missions. Since the gravitational acceleration on Mars is 1/3 that on earth, and since particle settling times scale with gravity, this suggests that some (though perhaps not all) geomorphological features attributed to liquid flows may in fact be associated with dry granular flows in the presence of reduced gravity.

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