An hypothesis on the origin of Martian canyons.
Abstract
It is pointed out that appearance of some of the canyons detected on Mars by the Mariner spacecraft is strongly suggestive of an occurrence of water corrosion. The source of the large quantity of water which may have contributed to the origin of Coprates canyon and some other major canyons could have been the result of large scale volcanic melting of ice-bearing formations similar to the earth's permafrost, but much older and probably of different origin. In volcanic areas, and particularly in the Tarsis region, the ice-bearing formations may be partially melted by volcanic activity. On the surface the ice would be covered by regolith, protecting it from sublimation.
- Publication:
-
Modern Geology
- Pub Date:
- 1978
- Bibcode:
- 1978ModGe...6..241B
- Keywords:
-
- Canyons;
- Mars Surface;
- Terrain Analysis;
- Topography;
- Ice;
- Meteorite Craters;
- Planetary Evolution;
- Volcanology;
- ORIGIN;
- MARS;
- CHASMAS;
- HYPOTHESIS;
- WATER;
- VOLCANISM;
- MELTING;
- ICE;
- BASINS;
- CHANNELS;
- TOPOGRAPHY;
- ARTIFICIAL IMPACTS;
- Mars:Canyons