Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Nov 1997
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997jgr...10225617m&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 102, Issue E11, p. 25617-25628
Mathematics
Logic
74
Planetology: Comets And Small Bodies: Composition
Scientific paper
A time-dependent viscoelastic model of thermal stress in Martian ice-rich permafrost is developed to test the hypothesis that small-scale polygonal features observed from orbit and by the Viking Lander 2 are the result of thermal contraction cracking, as commonly occurs in terrestrial permafrost. Results indicate that significant tensile stress occurs in Martian ice-rich permafrost as a result of seasonal cycles in the ground temperature. Using conservative rheological parameters appropriate for ice at low temperatures, tensile stresses poleward of about 20° to 30° latitude easily exceed the tensile strength (assumed to be 2 to 3 MPa) and fractures should readily form. In the equatorial regions, special conditions may allow tensile stresses to approach the tensile strength. These results support a thermal contraction origin of observed small-scale polygonal features and emphasize the utility of these features as valuable morphological indicators of ground ice.
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