Testing the deltaic origin of fan deposits at Bradbury Crater, Mars

The stratigraphic architectures of three fan-shaped deposits at Bradbury crater, Mars were investigated to test the hypothesis that the deposits were formed in standing bodies of water. Quantitative stratigraphic methods were applied to the northernmost deposit, which displays meter-thick layering. Planes fit to exposed strata display a constant dip throughout the section, with no obvious slope breaks and a mean dip of 6.1° to the northwest. We conclude that the stratal geometries of this outcrop are most consistent with formation as an alluvial/fluvial or debris flow fan. As this deposit lacks the diagnostic stratigraphic architecture of a delatic system, it presents no conclusive evidence for a sustained standing body of water at Bradbury crater.