Martian Water
Ben Farley
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
December 1, 2003
Overview
• Water on Mars?
• What’s left?
• Where did it go?
• What does it mean?
Water on Mars?
Water on Mars?
• Martian Oceans– Northern Hemisphere is
topographically lower than Southern Hemisphere
– Wrinkle ridges in North appear to be smoothed
– North is mostly lower Hesperian in age, while South is Noachian
Water on Mars?
• Martian Oceans– Arabia
• GEL of 599 m
– Deuteronilus• GEL of 130 m
– Vasitas Borealis Formation
• GEL of 156 m
Vasitas Borealis Formation
Water on Mars?
• Fluvial Features– Teardrop islands– Gullies– Outflow Channels
What’s left?
• Gullies– 97% located between ±30-60º latitude– Consistent with groundwater stable beneath
megaregolith– Not consistent with Mellon and Jakosky model
• Polar Caps– GEL of 20-30 meters
What’s left?
• Hydrogen enriched soil
Where did it go?
• GEL of 20-30 meters in polar caps
• GEL of 50 meters escaped atmosphere
• GEL of 80 meters unaccounted for
Where did it go?
• Volatile rich deposits
• Ground water (sub-megaregolith)
What does it mean?
• There is water on Mars now
• There probably was an Ocean on Mars during the Noachian period