DOCSLIB.ORG

Combining Radar Sounding and General Circulation Models to Reveal the Initial Accumulation of the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Combining Radar Sounding and General Circulation Models to Reveal the Initial Accumulation of the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 2854.pdf COMBINING RADAR SOUNDING AND GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS TO REVEAL THE INITIAL ACCUMULATION OF THE MARTIAN NORTH POLAR LAYERED DEPOSITS. S. Nerozzi1, J. W. Holt2, F. Forget3, A. Spiga3, E. Millour3, 1Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin ([email protected]), 2Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 3Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Introduction: The north polar layered deposits mulation patterns are also irregular, with the largest ac- (NPLD) in Planum Boreum (PB) are the second largest cumulation near 80-85°N rather than the pole. In these water ice reservoir of Mars. Since their discovery, their simulations, the largest water ice accumulation is asso- rich stratigraphic record has been regarded as the key ciated with an obliquity of 25° rather than lower values. for understanding climate evolution of Mars in the last We also observed that a significant part of water ice ac- 4 My [1], and its dependency on periodical variations of cumulation is concentrated during northern spring (Ls = Mars’ orbital parameters (i.e., orbital forcing) [e.g., 2- 0-90°) rather than winter. 3]. Their initial emplacement represent one of the most We ran additional simulations adding the aforemen- significant global-scale migrations of water in the recent tioned equatorial water ice sources, over 2 MY. The re- history of Mars, yet the dynamics and time scales of this sults show a dramatic increase in accumulation at high migration, and in particular the climatic conditions that latitudes, with the thickest deposits forming in the east- led to its onset, are still poorly understood. Recent stud- ern hemisphere between 60°N and 80°N (Fig. 2). Accu- ies involving orbital radar sounding revealed the com- mulation patterns remain similar among separate simu- position, stratigraphy and morphology of the paleo-PB lations that vary obliquity, but lower obliquities drive terrains [4], and the earliest NPLD accumulation pat- more ice deposition, especially at lower latitudes. terns [5]. These findings enable us to accurately con- Discussion: Our preliminary tests indicate that strain the initial conditions and parameter space for sen- obliquity variations are a strong driver of NPLD growth, sitivity experiments with the Laboratoire de Météorolo- and dictate the minimum latitude at which water ice is gie Dynamique “Zoomed” General Circulation Model accumulated permanently. However, significant spatial (LMDZ GCM [e.g., 6]) aimed at understanding the driv- variations occur in the accumulation patterns, with ing forces responsible of the initial accumulation of the obliquity playing a minor role. We hypothesize that ir- NPLD, and its temporal evolution. regular patterns are the result of local controls and feed- Methods: First, we generated a new dataset of to- backs (e.g. topography, albedo and thermal inertia) ra- pography, surface roughness, thermal inertia, and al- ther than orbital forcing due to obliquity oscillations. bedo of the paleo-PB based on the most recent radar The reduced accumulation at low obliquities in the first sounding data [4]. We set up the LMDZ GCM with a simulations (Fig. 1) is easily explained by the lack of global 64x64 grid and 28 vertical layers zoomed at low latitude sources of water, which causes the north 90°N, yielding an horizontal resolution in the north po- polar region to “starve,” perhaps aided by ice sequestra- lar region ≥1 ppd. Then, we defined parameter sets of tion in the south polar cap. Once equatorial ice is added spin axis obliquity (15-40°, 5° steps), orbital eccen- to the simulations, low obliquity drives much stronger tricity (0-0.12, 0.03 steps), perihelion precession (0- accumulation at the north pole, with formation of thick 270°, 90° steps), and atmospheric pressure (current, but asymmetrical deposits at high latitudes as found by +106% based on ref. [7]). Each GCM run tests one con- previous studies [e.g., 9-10]. We find a strong similarity stant orbital parameter, and is 10 MY long, preceded by of the latest GCM outputs with the isolated proto-Gem- a 1 MY spin-up run in which we remove any ice that ina lingula deposit as mapped with SHARAD (Fig. 3) may be present at the surface in the north polar region. and present-day icy outliers of Olympia Mensae. This In our latest simulations, we added equatorial sources of suggests that Olympia Mensae may be a remnant of the water ice located on the flanks of the Tharsis volcanoes migration of water ice from low to polar latitudes that and Olympus Mons according to recent mapping of ter- resulted in the initial accumulation of the NPLD. More- rains associated with former tropical glaciers [8]. over, the formation of proto-Gemina Lingula may pre- Preliminary results: We completed all of the 10 date the accumulation of other NPLD units closer to the MY runs testing the variation of spin axis obliquity with north pole. +106% atmospheric pressure (this choice was made to Acknowledgments: This work was supported by test the stability of the GCM) and no equatorial sources NASA MDAP grant NNX15AM52G. The LMDZ of water ice. Fig. 1 shows that lower obliquities support GCM was developed and kindly provided by the La- ice accumulation farther from the pole , and water ice boratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), UPMC, accumulates permanently at obliquities ≤30°. The accu- Paris. UT Austin supported a visit to LMD via the Global Research Fellowship. 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 2854.pdf Fig. 2: GCM snapshots at the end of northern summer of MY 2 of runs with tropical ice sources. Fig. 3: Earliest NPLD accumulation units in PB as mapped by SHARAD [5]. References: [1] Cutts J.A. (1973) JGR, 78, 4231- 4249. [2] Murray B.C. et al. (1973) Science, 180, 638- 640. [3] Laskar J. et al. (2002) Nature, 419, 375-377. [4] Nerozzi N. and Holt J.W. (2018) LPSC XLIX, Abstract 1075. [5] Nerozzi S. and Holt. J.W. (2018) Icarus, 308, 128-137. [6] Forget F. et al. (1999) JGR, 104, 155-176. [7] Bierson C.J. et al. (2016) GRL, 43, 4172-4179. [8] Fig. 1: GCM snapshots at the end of northern summer Tanaka K.L. et al. (2014) USGS, SIM3292. [9] Levrard of MY 10 of runs with no tropical ice source. B. et al. (2004) Nature, 431, 1072-1075. [10] Madeleine J.-B. et al. (2009) Icarus, 203, 390-405. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • SHARAD), Pedestal Craters, and the Lost Martian Layers: Initial Assessments Daniel Cahn Nunes,1 Suzanne E
    JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 116, E04006, doi:10.1029/2010JE003690, 2011 Shallow Radar (SHARAD), pedestal craters, and the lost Martian layers: Initial assessments Daniel Cahn Nunes,1 Suzanne E. Smrekar,1 Brian Fisher,2 Jeffrey J. Plaut,1 John W. Holt,3 James W. Head,4 Seth J. Kadish,4 and Roger J. Phillips5 Received 6 July 2010; revised 16 December 2010; accepted 24 January 2011; published 19 April 2011. [1] Since their discovery, Martian pedestal craters have been interpreted as remnants of layers that were once regionally extensive but have since been mostly removed. Pedestals span from subkilometer to hundreds of kilometers, but their thickness is less than ∼500 m. Except for a small equatorial concentration in the Medusae Fossae Formation, the nearly exclusive occurrence of pedestal craters in the middle and high latitudes of Mars has led to the suspicion that the lost units bore a significant fraction of volatiles, such as water ice. Recent morphological characterizations of pedestal deposits have further supported this view. Here we employ radar soundings obtained by the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) to investigate the volumes of a subset of the pedestal population, in concert with high‐ resolution imagery to assist our interpretations. From the analysis of 97 pedestal craters we find that large pedestals (diameter >30 km) are relatively transparent to radar in their majority, with SHARAD being able to detect the base of the pedestal deposits, and possess an average dielectric permittivity of 4 ± 0.5. In one of the cases of large pedestals in Malea Planum, layering is detected both in SHARAD data and in high‐resolution imagery of the pedestal margins.
    [Show full text]
  • North Polar Region of Mars: Advances in Stratigraphy, Structure, and Erosional Modification
    Icarus 196 (2008) 318–358 www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus North polar region of Mars: Advances in stratigraphy, structure, and erosional modification Kenneth L. Tanaka a,∗, J. Alexis P. Rodriguez b, James A. Skinner Jr. a,MaryC.Bourkeb, Corey M. Fortezzo a,c, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff a, Eric J. Kolb d, Chris H. Okubo e a US Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA b Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA c Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA d Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA 94043, USA e Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA Received 5 June 2007; revised 24 January 2008 Available online 29 February 2008 Abstract We have remapped the geology of the north polar plateau on Mars, Planum Boreum, and the surrounding plains of Vastitas Borealis using altimetry and image data along with thematic maps resulting from observations made by the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. New and revised geographic and geologic terminologies assist with effectively discussing the various features of this region. We identify 7 geologic units making up Planum Boreum and at least 3 for the circumpolar plains, which collectively span the entire Amazonian Period. The Planum Boreum units resolve at least 6 distinct depositional and 5 erosional episodes. The first major stage of activity includes the Early Amazonian (∼3 to 1 Ga) deposition (and subsequent erosion) of the thick (locally exceeding 1000 m) and evenly- layered Rupes Tenuis unit (ABrt), which ultimately formed approximately half of the base of Planum Boreum. As previously suggested, this unit may be sourced by materials derived from the nearby Scandia region, and we interpret that it may correlate with the deposits that regionally underlie pedestal craters in the surrounding lowland plains.
    [Show full text]
  • Pacing Early Mars Fluvial Activity at Aeolis Dorsa: Implications for Mars
    1 Pacing Early Mars fluvial activity at Aeolis Dorsa: Implications for Mars 2 Science Laboratory observations at Gale Crater and Aeolis Mons 3 4 Edwin S. Kitea ([email protected]), Antoine Lucasa, Caleb I. Fassettb 5 a Caltech, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA 91125 6 b Mount Holyoke College, Department of Astronomy, South Hadley, MA 01075 7 8 Abstract: The impactor flux early in Mars history was much higher than today, so sedimentary 9 sequences include many buried craters. In combination with models for the impactor flux, 10 observations of the number of buried craters can constrain sedimentation rates. Using the 11 frequency of crater-river interactions, we find net sedimentation rate ≲20-300 μm/yr at Aeolis 12 Dorsa. This sets a lower bound of 1-15 Myr on the total interval spanned by fluvial activity 13 around the Noachian-Hesperian transition. We predict that Gale Crater’s mound (Aeolis Mons) 14 took at least 10-100 Myr to accumulate, which is testable by the Mars Science Laboratory. 15 16 1. Introduction. 17 On Mars, many craters are embedded within sedimentary sequences, leading to the 18 recognition that the planet’s geological history is recorded in “cratered volumes”, rather than 19 just cratered surfaces (Edgett and Malin, 2002). For a given impact flux, the density of craters 20 interbedded within a geologic unit is inversely proportional to the deposition rate of that 21 geologic unit (Smith et al. 2008). To use embedded-crater statistics to constrain deposition 22 rate, it is necessary to distinguish the population of interbedded craters from a (usually much 23 more numerous) population of craters formed during and after exhumation.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded for Personal Non-Commercial Research Or Study, Without Prior Permission Or Charge
    MacArtney, Adrienne (2018) Atmosphere crust coupling and carbon sequestration on early Mars. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/9006/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten:Theses http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] ATMOSPHERE - CRUST COUPLING AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION ON EARLY MARS By Adrienne MacArtney B.Sc. (Honours) Geosciences, Open University, 2013. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW 2018 © Adrienne MacArtney All rights reserved. The author herby grants to the University of Glasgow permission to reproduce and redistribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in any part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: 16th January 2018 Abstract Evidence exists for great volumes of water on early Mars. Liquid surface water requires a much denser atmosphere than modern Mars possesses, probably predominantly composed of CO2. Such significant volumes of CO2 and water in the presence of basalt should have produced vast concentrations of carbonate minerals, yet little carbonate has been discovered thus far.
    [Show full text]
  • Dark Dunes on Mars
    CHAPTER II: PLANET MARS – THE BACKGROUND Like Earth, its neighbour planet, Mars, is a terrestrial planet with a solid surface, an atmosphere, two ice-covered pole caps, and not one but two moons (Phobos and Deimos). Some differences, such as a greater distance to the sun, a smaller diameter, a thinner atmosphere, and the longer duration of a year distinguish Mars from the Earth, not to forget the absence of life…so far. Nevertheless, there are many correlations between terrestrial and Martian geological and geomorphological processes, permitting researchers to apply knowledge from terrestrial studies more or less directly to Mars. However, a closer look reveals that the dissimilarities, though few, can make fundamental differences in process background and development. The following chapter provides a brief but necessary insight into the geological and physical background of this planet, imparting to the reader some fundamental knowledge about Mars, which is useful for understanding this work. Fig. 1 presents an impression of Mars viewed from space. Figure 1: The planet Mars: a global view (Viking 1 Orbiter mosaic [NASA]). Chapter II Planet Mars – The Background 5 Table 1 provides a summary of some major astronomical and physical parameters of Mars, giving the reader an impression of the extent to which they differ from terrestrial values. Table 1: Parameters of Mars [Kieffer et al., 1992a]. Property Dimension Orbit 227 940 000 km (1.52 AU) mean distance to the Sun Diameter 6794 km Mass 6.4185 * 1023 kg 3 Mean density ~3.933 g/cm Obliquity
    [Show full text]
  • The Early History of Planum Boreum: an Interplay of Water Ice and Sand
    Seventh Mars Polar Science Conf. 2020 (LPI Contrib. No. 2099) 6064.pdf THE EARLY HISTORY OF PLANUM BOREUM: AN INTERPLAY OF WATER ICE AND SAND. S. Nerozzi1, J. W. Holt2, A. Spiga3, F. Forget3, E. Millour3, 1Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, TX 78757 ([email protected]), 2Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Uni- versity of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 3Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Introduction: The Planum Boreum of Mars is com- Figure 1: Topographic posed of two main units: the North Polar Layered De- map of the BU and sur- posits (NPLD), and the underlying basal unit (BU). The rounding terrains re- vealed by SHARAD [6,7], rich stratigraphic record of the NPLD is regarded as the with superimposed key for understanding climate evolution of Mars in the shaded relief of the pre- last 4 My [1] and its dependency on periodical varia- sent day Planum Boreum tions of Mars’ orbital parameters (i.e., orbital forcing) topography. The white [2-4]. Their initial emplacement represent one of the line delineates the loca- most significant global-scale migrations of water in the tion of the SHARAD pro- recent history of Mars, likely driven by climate change, file in Fig. 2. yet its dynamics and time scale are still poorly under- stood. Recent studies revealed the composition, stratig- raphy and morphology of the lowermost NPLD and the underlying BU (Fig. 1, 2; [5,6]). These findings depict a history of intertwined polar ice and sediment accumu- lation in the Middle to Late Amazonian, thus opening a new window into Mars’ past global climate.
    [Show full text]
  • True Polar Wander Driven by Late-Stage Volcanism and the Distribution of Paleopolar Deposits on Mars
    Earth and Planetary Science Letters 280 (2009) 254–267 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/epsl True Polar Wander driven by late-stage volcanism and the distribution of paleopolar deposits on Mars Edwin S. Kite a,⁎, Isamu Matsuyama a,b, Michael Manga a, J. Taylor Perron c, Jerry X. Mitrovica d a Earth and Planetary Science, 307 McCone Hall #4767, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States b Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC, United States c Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 20 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA, United States d Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada article info abstract Article history: The areal centroids of the youngest polar deposits on Mars are offset from those of adjacent paleopolar Received 16 October 2008 deposits by 5–10°. We test the hypothesis that the offset is the result of True Polar Wander (TPW), the Received in revised form 22 January 2009 motion of the solid surface with respect to the spin axis, caused by a mass redistribution within or on the Accepted 27 January 2009 surface of Mars. In particular, we consider the possibility that TPW is driven by late-stage volcanism during Available online 9 March 2009 the Late Hesperian to Amazonian. There is observational and qualitative support for this hypothesis: in both Editor: T. Spohn north and south, observed offsets lie close to a great circle 90° from Tharsis, as expected for polar wander after Tharsis formed.
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Advances in the Stratigraphy of the Polar Regions of Mars
    Seventh International Conference on Mars 3276.pdf RECENT ADVANCES IN THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE POLAR REGIONS OF MARS. K. L. Tanaka1, E. J. Kolb2, and C. Fortezzo3, 1U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ (ktanaka @usgs.gov), 2 Arizona State U., Tempe, AZ, 3Northern Arizona U., Flagstaff, AZ Introduction. We have completed preliminary m/pixel) displays upwards of 20 layers along Rupes geologic maps of the polar plateaus (Planum Boreum Tenuis, each tens to perhaps ~100 m in thickness. The and Planum Australe) of Mars at 1:1.5M scale based edge of the Hyperborea Lingula plateau displays ~10 on Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey layers in THEMIS VIS images. The unit likely forms (ODY), and Mars Express (MEX) image and topog- the Escorial crater plateau and perhaps makes up Aba- raphic datasets. These data permit more detailed results los Colles, which are pitted cones that could be ele- than recent maps based mainly on MGS Mars Orbiter vated, degraded impact craters armoring the unit. Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation models and Early to Late Amazonian materials. Many of the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) data and at smaller scale impact craters surrounding Planum Boreum appear to [1-3]. Our analysis is preliminary, as we have not had have ejecta deposits on platforms elevated tens of me- full opportunity to scrutinize all of the pertinent, re- ters above adjacent plains. These crater forms have leased image data. Moreover, additional High Resolu- been referred to as “pedestal craters” and apparently tion Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Con- armor once-extensive mantle deposits.
    [Show full text]
  • USGS Scientific Investigations Map 3197
    Prepared for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Geologic Map of the MTM 85200 Quadrangle, Olympia Rupes- Region of Mars By James A. Skinner, Jr., and Kenneth E. Herkenhoff Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3197 180° E 64° N B O S R A E T A I T L I S S A V Korolev Scandia Tholi O l y m p i a U n d a e M P I A P L S C A N D I A C O L L E S L Y A N O O l y m p U i a s C M ui MTM a v n i e 85200 T s e p P L A N U M u R B o r e a l e s S c o p u l i 270° E 90° E MTM 85080 i l u p B O R E U M o Abalos Colles c Boreale asma Ch S G e m i n a i n L i n g u l a i m e G S V I A L S A T I E T R A S B O 0° E 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey This page intentionally left blank Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Physoigraphic Setting ..................................................................................................................................2 Map Base and Data ......................................................................................................................................2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................3 Unit Groups, Names, and Symbols ...................................................................................................3 Contact Types .......................................................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • The Polar Deposits of Mars
    ANRV374-EA37-08 ARI 16 January 2009 0:7 V I E E W R S Review in Advance first posted online on January 22, 2009. (Minor changes may still occur before final publication I E online and in print.) N C N A D V A The Polar Deposits of Mars Shane Byrne Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85745; email: [email protected] Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2009. 37:8.1–8.26 Key Words The Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences is martian, ice, climate, stratigraphy, geology, glaciology online at earth.annualreviews.org by University of Arizona Library on 03/17/09. For personal use only. This article’s doi: Abstract 10.1146/annurev.earth.031208.100101 The tantalizing prospect of a readable record of martian climatic variations Copyright c 2009 by Annual Reviews. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2009.37. Downloaded from arjournals.annualreviews.org has driven decades of work toward deciphering the stratigraphy of the mar- All rights reserved tian polar layered deposits and understanding the role of the residual ice caps 0084-6597/09/0530-0001$20.00 that cover them. Spacecraft over the past decade have provided a massive in- fusion of new data into Mars science. Polar science has benefited immensely due to the near-polar orbits of most of the orbiting missions and the suc- cessful landing of the Phoenix spacecraft in the northern high latitudes. To- pographic, thermal, radar, hyperspectral and high-resolution imaging data are among the datasets that have allowed characterization of the stratigraphy of the polar layered deposits in unprecedented detail.
    [Show full text]
  • Planets Solar System Paper Contents
    Planets Solar system paper Contents 1 Jupiter 1 1.1 Structure ............................................... 1 1.1.1 Composition ......................................... 1 1.1.2 Mass and size ......................................... 2 1.1.3 Internal structure ....................................... 2 1.2 Atmosphere .............................................. 3 1.2.1 Cloud layers ......................................... 3 1.2.2 Great Red Spot and other vortices .............................. 4 1.3 Planetary rings ............................................ 4 1.4 Magnetosphere ............................................ 5 1.5 Orbit and rotation ........................................... 5 1.6 Observation .............................................. 6 1.7 Research and exploration ....................................... 6 1.7.1 Pre-telescopic research .................................... 6 1.7.2 Ground-based telescope research ............................... 7 1.7.3 Radiotelescope research ................................... 8 1.7.4 Exploration with space probes ................................ 8 1.8 Moons ................................................. 9 1.8.1 Galilean moons ........................................ 10 1.8.2 Classification of moons .................................... 10 1.9 Interaction with the Solar System ................................... 10 1.9.1 Impacts ............................................ 11 1.10 Possibility of life ........................................... 12 1.11 Mythology .............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Spaceflight Engineering 2018 Landing Sites.Key
    Spaceflight Engineering 2018 Landing Sites Landing Site #1: Schiaparelli Crater The Schiaparelli Crater is a large impact crater on Mars, located in the Sinus Sabaeus quadrangle. Coordinates: (2.71ºS, 16.77ºE) The crater measures 459 km in diameter Landing Site #2: Milankovic Crater The Milankovic crater is another large impact crater on Mars. It is located much further north than the Schiaparelli crater, in the flat plain of Vastitas Borealis. Coordinates: (54.7ºN 146.7ºW) The Milankovic crater is 118.4km in diameter Landing Site #3: Arcadia Planitia The Arcadia Planitia is a large flat plains region in the northern hemisphere of Mars. It lies just south of the northern polar ice cap. Coordinates: (47.2ºN 184.3ºE) This area has been a particular interest for many scientists because the possibility of ground ice has led to discussion about water. Location and Setting: Ismenius Cavus Mission statement: Your company’s mission goes here Location and Setting: Aram Chaos Coord: 2.8°N, 338.9°E Elevation: 3.4 km - A crater that once contained water -Clay minerals consistent with fine-grained deposits at lake bottom ● -Past habitability in subsurface environment -Hesperian atmosphere preservation– evaporite minerals Location and Setting: Hellas Chasma Coord:Mission 34.64°S 65.47°E statement: Hellas Chasma is a deep, elongated, Yoursteep-sided company’s depression 148 KM Diameter Notmission much known about it. goes here Purpose To earn more about Mars’ Hesperian period and fluvial activity Examine sediments Biggest impact crater Advantages Research done on distance and time away from other sites in the Hellas Basin It suggests fluvial activity Largest impact crater, may be able to learn more Disadvantages Very little research done on Hellas Chasma May be an interesting site, but not much to go off of other than geomorphology Planum Boreum • Northern polar plain on Mars • Around 1.5x size of Texas • Permanent ice cap with several different layers • Spirals in land formed from katabatic wind 87.32ºN 54.96ºE -8,520 ft.
    [Show full text]