University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1984 A model for the climatic behavior of water on Mars. Stephen Mark Clifford University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Clifford, Stephen Mark, "A model for the climatic behavior of water on Mars." (1984). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 1781. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/1781 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A MODEL FOR THE CLIMATIC BEHAVIOR OF WATER ON MARS. A Dissertation Presented By STEPHEN MARK CLIFFORD the Submitted to the Graduate School of fulfillment University of Massachusetts in partial degree of of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 1984 Department of Physics and Astronomy Stephen Mark Clifford All Rights Reserved Space Administration National Aeronautics and NSG 7405 11 n A MODEL FOR THE CLIMATIC BEHAVIOR OF WATER ON MARS. A Dissertation Presented By STEPHEN MARK CLIFFORD Approved as to style and content by: up Robert L. Hug uen i Chairperson/ of Committee Daniel Hillel, Member William M. Irvine, Member George (|/. McGill, Member / Head LeRoy F. Cook, Department Department of Physics and Astronomy iii DEDICATION support I would have To ny wife, Julie, without whose love and given all this up long ago. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Robert Huguenin, who stimulated I am deeply indebted to Professor His creativity, support, and encouraged much of my graduate research. of environment that made guidance, and friendship, provided the kind this dissertation possible. Hillel who provided me with the tools of I thank Professor Daniel having inflicted me with what are, a soil physicist. Despite his ghastly puns, he is a much without question, some of the world's most respected friend. Peter Professors George McGill, William Irvine, I am grateful to given me the opportunity to learn Schloerb, and Donald Wise, for having disciplines encompassed by planetary something of the diversity of encouragement, and advice, has been much science. Their consideration, to education. I would also like appreciated throughout my graduate David Van Blerkhom whose personal express my gratitude to Professor a much time, anguish, and very likely interest and advocacy helped save scientific career. Michael Carr, Mark Cintala, Eraser Thanks are due Lee Allison, Wendy Hale, John Hollin, Laurie Fanale, Tom Gold, Matt Golentoek, Peter Ellen Miller, Robert Miller, Johansen, Karen Miller, Mary Ostendorf, Lisa Rossbacher, Peter Mouginis-Mark, Rick Newton, David helpful providing much inspiration, many Schultz, and Jose Valdez, for this of the chapters contained in conversations, and reviews of some (at USGS go to both Elliot Morris dissertation. Additional thanks Center for providing a Flagstaff) and the National Space Science Data am also indebted to number of the photographs used in this work. I Planetary Institute, whose Kevin Burke and the staff of the Lunar and appreciated during the financial and technical support was much preparation of the final draft of this dissertation. academic career my Throughout my long and somewhat tortuous encouragment I hope that this parents have given me much love and . for their unending confidence dissertation is at least a partial reward and patience. vi procured to themselves wings. In ancient days two aviators and was duly honored on his Daedalus flew safely through the middle air the sun till the wax melted which landing. Icarus soared upwards to fiasco .... The classical bound his wings and his flight ended in only 'doing a stunt'; but I authorities tell us, of course, that he was brought to light a serious prefer to think of him as the man who of his day. constructional defect in the flying-machines Daedalus will apply his theories So, too, in science. Cautious safely go Icarus will where he feels confident they will ... gape. till the weak :oints strain his theories to the breaking-point partly, that is human nature. But if For the mere adventure? Perhaps of the sun and solve finally the riddle he is destined not yet to reach ourney some hope to learn from his : its construction, we may at least hints to build a better machine. Sir Arthur Eddington vii ABSTRACT Mars A Model for the Climatic Behavior of Water on May, 1984 Stephen M. Clifford, B.A., Windham College M.S., University of Massachusetts Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Directed by: Professor Robert L. Huguenin preclude the existence of Present climatic conditions on Mars within the latitude band ground ice in equilibrium with the atmosphere of morphologic evidence suggest that of ±40°. Yet, various lines in the equatorial substantial quantities of ^0 have survived popular explanation for this regolith for billions of years. The equatorial ground ice is a relic apparent contradiction has been that that existed very early in Martian of a substantially different climate hypothesis, the stability of geologic history. To evaluate this basis of our current under- equatorial ground ice is examined on the of the Martian regolith. The standing of the physical properties any ground ice, emplaced earlier results of this analysis suggest that long since been lost by sublima- than 3.5 billion years ago, may have of these results, alternative tion to the atmosphere. In light equatorial ground ice are explanations for the long-term survival of possibility of replenishment from considered. Chief among these is the viii may occur in response sources of H 0. Such replenishment subsurface 2 from the gradient, whereby H 0 is driven to the Martian geothermal 2 vapor depths to the colder (lower warmer (higher vapor pressure) replen- In addition to ground ice pressure) near-surface regolith. sublimed from equatorial ground ice ishment, the ultimate fate of H^D temperatures exceed Since mean annual equatorial is also considered. any excess of the atmosphere by > 20 K, the frost-point temperature at the will eventually be cold-trapped H 0 released to the atmosphere 2 polar of this H 0 contxnue, the ^es. Should the deposition 2 geothermal the thickness required for deposits may eventually reach inventory of H 0 Given a planetary 2 melting to begin at their base. subpermaf rost formation of a global-scale sufficient to result in the result percolation of basal meltwater will groundwater system, the deep a groundwater water table in the form of in the rise of the subpolar presence of the hydraulic head created by the nound. The gradient in to the drxve the fit* of groundwater groundwater nound may then ground ice may source from which equatorial equator, thus proving the ultimately be replenished. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS 1V DEDICATION v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... viii ABSTRACT xi i LIST OF TABLES xl11 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER , I. INTRODUCTION EQUATORIAL REGION II. THE STABILITY OF GROUND ICE IN THE OF MARS A. Introduction ^ B. The Regolith Model • 1. The origin and extent of the Martian megaregolith sizes ..... 2. Particle and aggregate ^W 3. Porosity and pore size distribution 2/ 4. The pore size distribution model C. The Diffusion Model ^ Numerical Procedure .... & D. Initial Assumptions and E. Results and Analysis Temperature effects 1. 4g 2. Pore size effects ' 5& F. Discussion • • • ' geothermal 1. Depth of burial and the Martian gradient feQ 2. Porosity ; diffusion 3. Adsorption and surface 4. Climatic change 73 G. Summary 70 H. Conclusion 79 I. Notation REPLENISHMENT OF EQUATORIAL III. MECHANISMS FOR THE SUBSURFACE GROUND ICE ON MARS 82 . A. Introduction • • * ' m ground ice replenishment ... w B. Possible evidence of C. Processes of replenishment convection 1. Hydrothermal g6 2. Shock- induced transport 3. Thermal moisture movement E. Conclusion x 114 IV. POLAR BASAL MELTING ON MARS 114 A. Introduction : 117 Martian polar terrains . il/ B. A geologic summary of the 1. Composition * ' 2. Geology ' ' 3. Origin and evolution ^ C. Basal Melting i 1. Thermal calculations 2. Flow calculations ™ Discussion • D. iox Storage of a primitive Martian ice sheet 1. 163 2. Origin of Chasma Boreale isolated habitats 3. Polar basal lakes as possible I'4 of primitive Martian life latitudes i'e 4. Basal melting at temperate terrains 101 5. The mass balance of the polar behavior of l|b 6. A model for the climatic E. Conclusion F. Notation BEHAVIOR OF WATER ON MARS . 193 V. A MODEL FOR THE CLIMATIC 193 Introduction A. 194 The atmsopheric equilibrium model .... 1. 197 2. The fossil ground ice model model 200 3. The subpermafrost groundwater Martian Megaregolith B. The 203 1. Origin and structure pore volume 205 2. Porosity profile and total C. Regolith H-0 on Mars H^O 1. The emplacement of regolith 2. Extent of the cryosphere • groundwater . • • • • • 3. Saturated thickness of and the Permeability D. The Occurrence of Groundwater ' of tthe Earth's Crust • • • • ' Requirements of Global Groundwater^ E. The Physical ^ FlOW ooo groundwater mound • 1. The growth of the F. Conclusions 254 G. Notation .... 256 BIBLIOGRAPHY xi LIST OF TABLES Models 26 2.1 Terrestrial Examples of Pore Size Distribution ... 29 2.2 Model Pore Size Distribution Parameters 2 Ice Layer 47 '.3 Lifetimes of a Buried Ground 4.1 Basal Melting Thicknesses .... ^ 21/ 5.1 Latitudinal Variation of