Mobility of icy sand packs, with application to Martian permafrost

Details Mobility of icy sand packs, with application to Martian permafrost Mobility of icy sand packs, with application to Martian permafrost

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3623203d&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 23, CiteID L23203

Physics

3

Physical Properties Of Rocks: Fracture And Flow, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Ices, Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars, Mineral Physics: Creep And Deformation, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface Materials And Properties

Scientific paper

The physical state of water on Mars has fundamental ramifications for both climatology and astrobiology. The widespread presence of “softened” Martian landforms (such as impact craters) can be attributed to viscous creep of subsurface ground ice. We present laboratory experiments designed to determine the minimum amount of ice necessary to mobilize topography within Martian permafrost. Our results show that the jammed-to-mobile transition of icy sand packs neither occurs at fixed ice content nor is dependent on temperature or stress, but instead correlates strongly with the maximum dry packing density of the sand component. Viscosity also changes rapidly near the mobility transition. The results suggest a potentially lower minimum volatile inventory for the impact-pulverized megaregolith of Mars. Furthermore, the long-term preservation of partially relaxed craters implies that the ice content of Martian permafrost has remained close to that at the mobility transition throughout Martian history.

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