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Distinguishing deltas and fluvial fans on Mars
Gezovich, Luke J. Plink-Bjorklund, Piret Henry, Jack
Gezovich, Luke J.
Plink-Bjorklund, Piret
Henry, Jack
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2024-04
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Abstract
Ancient lakes on Mars and the deltas that occur along their shorelines offer attractive targets for mission landing sites due to their habitability and biosignature preservation potential. Furthermore, the presence of deltas is used to map paleoshorelines for paleo-oceans and lakes on Mars. Jezero Crater was chosen as the NASA Perseverance landing site because the fan-shaped channel network here was interpreted as a delta. However, on Earth, fan-shaped channel networks may also form in fluvial fans which are inland terrestrial landforms that can form 1000s of kilometers from shorelines. We demonstrate that morphometric criteria are needed to identify fan-shaped landforms for potential future landing sites accurately. The goal of this research project is to differentiate deltas and fluvial fans on Mars by quantifying fan-shaped paleochannel network morphometrics. We map Martian fan-shaped paleochannel networks using images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) photomosaics using ArcGIS. The outcomes of this project will improve our ability to choose appropriate landing sites in search of life and to map paleo-shorelines on Mars. Preliminary results suggest that most fan-shaped channel networks on Mars resemble fluvial fans, while the channel network at the Eberswalde crater resembles a delta. Fluvial fan formation has been linked to large sediment and water discharges, and to fluctuations in discharge because of highly seasonal precipitation in climatic settings that promote marked seasonal and interannual hydrological changes, leading to variable discharge regimes and exceptional flood events. Alternative evidence is required to identify paleo-shorelines as fluvial fans may also form along shorelines.
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