The Association of Liquid Water Springs With Permafrost Regions on Earth and Mars

Recent space missions have confirmed the presence of ice-rich ground in the middle and high latitudes of Mars. Geologically recent gully features on Mars show a geographic distribution that is correlated with theoretical models of ground ice stability which is suggestive of a genetic relationship between ground ice and gully activity. Possible mechanisms of gully formation are thus examined. A liquid water aquifer on Mars activated by freezing cycles is the favored model of gully formation based on an analysis of Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft data. Additionally, liquid water spring activity occurs in regions of continuous permafrost on Earth. Spring systems in the Canadian High Arctic (Axel Heiberg Island) as well as the Norwegian Arctic (Spitsbergen) demonstrate different morphologies and mechanisms of formation for spring systems in polar desert environments. On both Earth and Mars, liquid water springs in permafrost regions provide a unique setting for the possible preservation of biological signatures.