A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars

A. S. McEwen; C. J. Hansen; W. A. Delamere; E. M. Eliason; K. E. Herkenhoff; L. Keszthelyi; V. C. Gulick; R. L. Kirk; M. T. Mellon; J. A. Grant; N. Thomas; C. M. Weitz; S. W. Squyres; N. T. Bridges; S. L. Murchie; F. Seelos; K. Seelos; C. H. Okubo; M. P. Milazzo; L. L. Tornabene; W. L. Jaeger; S. Byrne; P. S. Russell; J. L. Griffes; S. Martínez-Alonso; A. Davatzes; F. C. Chuang; B. J. Thomson; K. E. Fishbaugh; C. M. Dundas; K. J. Kolb; M. E. Banks; J. J. Wray

doi:10.1126/science.1143987

A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars

A. S. McEwen, C. J. Hansen, W. A. Delamere, E. M. Eliason, K. E. Herkenhoff, L. Keszthelyi, V. C. Gulick, R. L. Kirk, M. T. Mellon, J. A. Grant, N. Thomas, C. M. Weitz, S. W. Squyres, N. T. Bridges, S. L. Murchie, F. Seelos, K. Seelos, C. H. Okubo, M. P. Milazzo, L. L. TornabeneW. L. Jaeger, S. Byrne, P. S. Russell, J. L. Griffes, S. Martínez-Alonso, A. Davatzes, F. C. Chuang, B. J. Thomson, K. E. Fishbaugh, C. M. Dundas, K. J. Kolb, M. E. Banks, J. J. Wray

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Abstract

Water has supposedly marked the surface of Mars and produced characteristic landforms. To understand the history of water on Mars, we take a close look at key locations with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reaching fine spatial scales of 25 to 32 centimeters per pixel. Boulders ranging up to ∼2 meters in diameter are ubiquitous in the middle to high latitudes, which include deposits previously interpreted as fine-grained ocean sediments or dusty snow. Bright gully deposits identify six locations with very recent activity, but these lie on steep (20° to 35°) slopes where dry mass wasting could occur. Thus, we cannot confirm the reality of ancient oceans or water in active gullies but do see evidence of fluvial modification of geologically recent mid-latitude gullies and equatorial impact craters.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1706-1709
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	317
Issue number	5845
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1143987
State	Published - Sep 21 2007

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McEwen, A. S., Hansen, C. J., Delamere, W. A., Eliason, E. M., Herkenhoff, K. E., Keszthelyi, L., Gulick, V. C., Kirk, R. L., Mellon, M. T., Grant, J. A., Thomas, N., Weitz, C. M., Squyres, S. W., Bridges, N. T., Murchie, S. L., Seelos, F., Seelos, K., Okubo, C. H., Milazzo, M. P., ... Wray, J. J. (2007). A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars. Science, 317(5845), 1706-1709. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1143987

McEwen, AS, Hansen, CJ, Delamere, WA, Eliason, EM, Herkenhoff, KE, Keszthelyi, L, Gulick, VC, Kirk, RL, Mellon, MT, Grant, JA, Thomas, N, Weitz, CM, Squyres, SW, Bridges, NT, Murchie, SL, Seelos, F, Seelos, K, Okubo, CH, Milazzo, MP, Tornabene, LL, Jaeger, WL, Byrne, S, Russell, PS, Griffes, JL, Martínez-Alonso, S, Davatzes, A, Chuang, FC, Thomson, BJ, Fishbaugh, KE, Dundas, CM, Kolb, KJ, Banks, ME & Wray, JJ 2007, 'A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars', Science, vol. 317, no. 5845, pp. 1706-1709. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1143987

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abstract = "Water has supposedly marked the surface of Mars and produced characteristic landforms. To understand the history of water on Mars, we take a close look at key locations with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reaching fine spatial scales of 25 to 32 centimeters per pixel. Boulders ranging up to ∼2 meters in diameter are ubiquitous in the middle to high latitudes, which include deposits previously interpreted as fine-grained ocean sediments or dusty snow. Bright gully deposits identify six locations with very recent activity, but these lie on steep (20° to 35°) slopes where dry mass wasting could occur. Thus, we cannot confirm the reality of ancient oceans or water in active gullies but do see evidence of fluvial modification of geologically recent mid-latitude gullies and equatorial impact craters.",

author = "McEwen, {A. S.} and Hansen, {C. J.} and Delamere, {W. A.} and Eliason, {E. M.} and Herkenhoff, {K. E.} and L. Keszthelyi and Gulick, {V. C.} and Kirk, {R. L.} and Mellon, {M. T.} and Grant, {J. A.} and N. Thomas and Weitz, {C. M.} and Squyres, {S. W.} and Bridges, {N. T.} and Murchie, {S. L.} and F. Seelos and K. Seelos and Okubo, {C. H.} and Milazzo, {M. P.} and Tornabene, {L. L.} and Jaeger, {W. L.} and S. Byrne and Russell, {P. S.} and Griffes, {J. L.} and S. Mart{\'i}nez-Alonso and A. Davatzes and Chuang, {F. C.} and Thomson, {B. J.} and Fishbaugh, {K. E.} and Dundas, {C. M.} and Kolb, {K. J.} and Banks, {M. E.} and Wray, {J. J.}",

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AU - Keszthelyi, L.

AU - Gulick, V. C.

AU - Kirk, R. L.

AU - Mellon, M. T.

AU - Grant, J. A.

AU - Thomas, N.

AU - Weitz, C. M.

AU - Squyres, S. W.

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AU - Murchie, S. L.

AU - Seelos, F.

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AU - Okubo, C. H.

AU - Milazzo, M. P.

AU - Tornabene, L. L.

AU - Jaeger, W. L.

AU - Byrne, S.

AU - Russell, P. S.

AU - Griffes, J. L.

AU - Martínez-Alonso, S.

AU - Davatzes, A.

AU - Chuang, F. C.

AU - Thomson, B. J.

AU - Fishbaugh, K. E.

AU - Dundas, C. M.

AU - Kolb, K. J.

AU - Banks, M. E.

AU - Wray, J. J.

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A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars

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