Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8135909 | Icarus | 2016 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Observations of Mars from the surface and from orbit suggest that erosion rates over the last â¼3Â Gyr (the Amazonian) have been as slow as 10â5Â m/Myr and have been dominated by aeolian processes, while ancient (Noachian) erosion rates may have been orders of magnitude higher due to impact bombardment and fluvial activity. Amazonian-aged glacial deposits are widespread on Mars, but rates of erosion responsible for contributing debris to these remnant glacial deposits have not been constrained. Here, we calculate erosion rates during Amazonian glaciations using a catalog of mid-latitude glacial landforms coupled with observational and theoretical constraints on the duration of glaciation. These calculations suggest that erosion rates for scarps that contributed debris to glacial landforms are 4-7 orders of magnitude higher than average Amazonian rates in non-glaciated, low-slope regions. These erosion rates are similar to terrestrial cold-based glacier erosion and entrainment rates, consistent with cold-based glacier modification of parts of Mars.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
Joseph S. Levy, Caleb I. Fassett, James W. Head,