Grid Mapping the Northern Plains of Mars: A New Overview of Recent Water‐ and Ice‐Related Landforms in Acidalia Planitia

Orgel, Csilla; Hauber, Ernst; Gasselt, Stephan; Reiss, Dennis; Johnsson, Andreas; Ramsdale, Jason D.; Smith, Isaac; Swirad, Zuzanna M.; Séjourné, Antoine; Wilson, Jack T.; Balme, Matthew R.; Conway, Susan J.; Costard, Francois; Eke, Vince R.; Gallagher, Colman; Kereszturi, Ákos; Łosiak, Anna; Massey, Richard J.; Platz, Thomas; Skinner, James A.; Teodoro, Luis F.A.

doi:10.1029/2018je005664

Grid Mapping the Northern Plains of Mars: A New Overview of Recent Water‐ and Ice‐Related Landforms in Acidalia Planitia

Orgel, Csilla; Hauber, Ernst; Gasselt, Stephan; Reiss, Dennis; Johnsson, Andreas; Ramsdale, Jason D.; Smith, Isaac; Swirad, Zuzanna M.; Séjourné, Antoine; Wilson, Jack T.; Balme, Matthew R.; Conway, Susan J.; Costard, Francois; Eke, Vince R.; Gallagher, Colman; Kereszturi, Ákos; Łosiak, Anna; Massey, Richard J.; Platz, Thomas; Skinner, James A.; Teodoro, Luis F.A.

Authors

Csilla Orgel

Ernst Hauber

Stephan Gasselt

Dennis Reiss

Andreas Johnsson

Jason D. Ramsdale

Isaac Smith

Zuzanna M. Swirad

Antoine Séjourné

Jack T. Wilson

Matthew R. Balme

Susan J. Conway

Francois Costard

Dr Vincent Eke v.r.eke@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor

Colman Gallagher

Ákos Kereszturi

Anna Łosiak

Professor Richard Massey r.j.massey@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Thomas Platz

James A. Skinner

Luis F.A. Teodoro

Contributors

Zuzanna Swirad zuzanna.m.swirad@durham.ac.uk
Other

Zuzanna Swirad hwdm54@durham.ac.uk
Other

Abstract

We used a grid‐mapping technique to analyze the distribution of 13 water‐ and ice‐related landforms in Acidalia Planitia as part of a joint effort to study the three main basins in the northern lowlands of Mars, that is, Acidalia, Utopia, and Arcadia Planitiae. The landforms were mapped at full Context Camera resolution along a 300‐km‐wide strip from 20°N to 84°N. We identified four landform assemblages: (1) Geologically recent polar cap (massive ice), which superposes the latitude‐dependent mantle (LDM) (LA1); (2) ice‐related landforms, such as LDM, textured terrain, small‐scale polygons, scalloped terrain, large‐scale viscous flow features, and gullies, which have an overlapping distribution (LA2); (3) surface features possibly related to water and subsurface sediment mobilization (LA3; kilometer‐scale polygons, large pitted mounds, small pitted mounds, thumbprint terrain); and (4) irregularly shaped pits with raised rims on equator‐facing slopes. Pits are likely the result of an energetic release of volatiles (H2O, CO2, and CH4), rather than impact‐, volcanism‐, or wind‐related processes. LDM occurs ubiquitously from 44°N to 78°N in Acidalia Planitia. Various observations suggest an origin of air fall deposition of LDM, which contains less ice in the uppermost tens of meters in Acidalia Planitia than in Arcadia and Utopia Planitiae. However, LDM may be thicker and more extended in the past in Acidalia Planitia. The transition between LDM‐free terrain and LDM is situated further north than in Utopia and Arcadia Planitiae, suggesting different past and/or present climatic conditions among the main basins in the northern lowlands.

Citation

Orgel, C., Hauber, E., Gasselt, S., Reiss, D., Johnsson, A., Ramsdale, J. D., …Teodoro, L. F. (2019). Grid Mapping the Northern Plains of Mars: A New Overview of Recent Water‐ and Ice‐Related Landforms in Acidalia Planitia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 124(2), 454-482. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018je005664

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	Sep 13, 2018
Publication Date	Feb 28, 2019
Deposit Date	Mar 27, 2019
Publicly Available Date	Aug 21, 2019
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Print ISSN	2169-9097
Electronic ISSN	2169-9100
Publisher	American Geophysical Union
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	124
Issue	2
Pages	454-482
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018je005664

Files

Published Journal Article (4.9 Mb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
Orgel, Csilla, Hauber, Ernst, Gasselt, Stephan, Reiss, Dennis, Johnsson, Andreas, Ramsdale, Jason D., Smith, Isaac, Swirad, Zuzanna M., Séjourné, Antoine, Wilson, Jack T., Balme, Matthew R., Conway, Susan J., Costard, Francois, Eke, Vince R., Gallagher, Colman, Kereszturi, Ákos, Łosiak, Anna, Massey, Richard J., Platz, Thomas, Skinner, James A. & Teodoro, Luis F. A. (2019). Grid Mapping the Northern Plains of Mars: A New Overview of Recent Water‐ and Ice‐Related Landforms in Acidalia Planitia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 124(2): 454-482. 10.1029/2018JE005664. To view the published open abstract, go to https://doi.org/ and enter the DOI.