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