Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agufm.p22a..05m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #P22A-05
Mathematics
Logic
1625 Geomorphology And Weathering (0790, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1886), 5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5419 Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, 5450 Orbital And Rotational Dynamics (1221), 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
The identification of young gullies on Mars suggests that liquid water has flowed across the martian surface during the recent climatic regime which has otherwise been considered to have been cold and dry. Research into the martian gullies suggest that water flow was concurrent with periods of higher obliquity, yet, no consensus has been reached regarding whether the water which eroded the gullies originated within internal confined aquifers or was sourced from surface/near-surface snow and ice deposits. We undertook research into gully formation in the ADV, a hyper-arid very cold polar desert which is considered the closest terrestrial analog to current Martian conditions. Our research identified two water sources: 1) perennial snow/ice deposits within the gully alcoves. 2). Annual accumulations of windblown snow trapped within the channels themselves. The melt produced by each source was found to be a function of: the local microclimatic zone, lithology, slopes and elevation. We also classified and mapped a range of meso-scale features (m to 10s of m scale) that can be compared to landforms identifiable within HiRISE images in order to further constrain gully formation processes and potential levels of recent activity on Mars. The exchange of salts between the runoff within the gullies and the surrounding ADV soils may also provide further insights into the generation of brines within polar deserts; this has important ramification regarding their development on Mars and the extent to which the freezing point can be depressed. Our findings demonstrate how gully erosion can take place in the absence of aquifer-fed sapping and within a region of low precipitation and thus provides further support for a surface source of water for the martian gullies. These results also underline the significance of snowmelt as a source of water for both ADV hydrological systems and ecosystems.
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