Estimating the Relative Importance of Ice Flow and Sublimation in the Permanent North Polar Cap on Mars

Details Estimating the Relative Importance of Ice Flow and Sublimation in the Permanent North Polar Cap on Mars Estimating the Relative Importance of Ice Flow and Sublimation in the Permanent North Polar Cap on Mars

May 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusm.p42a..01h&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #P42A-01

Mathematics

Logic

5416 Glaciation, 5460 Physical Properties Of Materials, 5462 Polar Regions

Scientific paper

The permanent North Polar Cap of Mars is thought to consist of layers of water ice together with some dust deposited over time. The present topography is a result of climatic and geologic processes. The topographic data from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) show that the surface is dominated by a pattern of scarps and troughs, organized in a spiral pattern around the center. Ablation is thought to occur as sublimation along the south-facing scarps. Assuming that the cap consists of flowing water ice, we have analyzed the high-resolution topography in order to estimate the relative importance of flow and sublimation. We have determined flow lines from the center of the cap, using a finite element flow model to calculate the ice flow and the evolution of the topography in time. Our model includes longitudinal stresses, and shows that ice flow may be dragged past deep troughs. The effect of flow is to close the troughs on timescales of 100-1000 kyr. If troughs remain open, sublimation rates must exceed flow rates and be at least on the order of 1-10 cm/yr along south-facing scarps.

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