Evidence that floodwaters filled and overflowed Capri Chasma, Mars

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

2

Hydrology: Floods, Hydrology: Geomorphology: Fluvial (1625), Hydrology: Extreme Events, Hydrology: Limnology (0458, 4239, 4942), Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars

Scientific paper

Erosional features on a plateau in the Valles Marineris provide evidence that a lake filled Capri Chasma until it overflowed its eastern rim, carving two large spillover channels. The floodwaters surged into the adjacent lowlands of ancestral Ganges Chasma and eastern Eos Chasma. The channel floor elevation and depth of incision at Daga Vallis reveal that a 1200-m-deep lake water column was drained by the flooding. The width, depth, and steep energy slope (~0.02) of Daga Vallis and the existence of several cataracts, including a 500-m-high dry falls, demonstrate the power of the floodwaters. We estimate a possible peak discharge rate of 1-6 × 108 m3.s-1. The catastrophic flows may have been triggered by the collapse of topographic barriers in eastern Coprates Chasma, providing a gateway for lake waters in the central Valles Marineris to pour eastward toward Capri Chasma and the lowlands beyond. These may have been among the earliest flows in Simud-Tiu Valles, contributing discharge to a possible sea in the northern plains of Mars.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Evidence that floodwaters filled and overflowed Capri Chasma, Mars does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Evidence that floodwaters filled and overflowed Capri Chasma, Mars, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Evidence that floodwaters filled and overflowed Capri Chasma, Mars will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1080461

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.