T249 Sedimentology Goes to Mars
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
MARTIAN ALLUVIAL FANS
Paper number: T249-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 3:10 PM – 3:25 PM
Authors
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Erik AsphaugUniversity of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
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Jeff MooreNASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA
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Alan HowardUniversity of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Abstract
The recent discovery of alluvial fans in impact crater basins indicates yet another dynamic sedimentary system is active on the Martian surface. All Martian alluvial fans identified to date originate from the rims of craters, the alcoves are in the steep rim topography and the aprons are in the shallow crater bowl basins. Martian fans have the same distinctive ‘cone-shaped' debris apron and similar topographic profiles as their terrestrial counterparts; some of the fans have fluvial channel networks preserved on their surface. Martian fans are large compared to terrestrial fans and have a distinctive regional grouping in the southern hemisphere. Here we discuss the formation of these features under Martian conditions and focus in particular on the reasons for the distinctive grouping including impact cratering processes, regional geology, and Martian climate history.