Potential desiccation cracks on Mars: a synthesis from modeling, analogue-field studies, and global observations
El-Maarry, Mohamed Ramy and Watters, W. and McKeown, N.K. and Carter, J. and Noe Dobrea, E. and Bishop, J.L. and Pommerol, A. and Thomas, N. (2014) Potential desiccation cracks on Mars: a synthesis from modeling, analogue-field studies, and global observations. Icarus 241 , pp. 248-268. ISSN 0019-1035.
Abstract
Potential desiccation polygons (PDPs) are polygonal surface patterns that are a common feature in Noachian-to-Hesperian-aged phyllosilicate- and chloride-bearing terrains and have been observed with size scales that range from cm-wide (by current rovers) to 10s of meters-wide. The global distribution of PDPs shows that they share certain traits in terms of morphology and geologic setting that can aid identification and distinction from fracturing patterns caused by other processes. They are mostly associated with sedimentary deposits that display spectral evidence for the presence of Fe/Mg smectites, Al-rich smectites or less commonly kaolinites, carbonates, and sulfates. In addition, PDPs may indicate paleolacustrine environments, which are of high interest for planetary exploration, and their presence implies that the fractured units are rich in smectite minerals that may have been deposited in a standing body of water. A collective synthesis with new data, particularly from the HiRISE camera suggests that desiccation cracks may be more common on the surface of Mars than previously thought. A review of terrestrial research on desiccation processes with emphasis on the theoretical background, field studies, and modeling constraints is presented here as well and shown to be consistent with and relevant to certain polygonal patterns on Mars.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Mars, Mars surface Geological processes, Mars climate |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Natural Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Oct 2018 11:14 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:45 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/24702 |
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