TY - JOUR
T1 - Ancient hot springs on Mars
T2 - Origins and paleoenvironmental significance of small Martian valleys
AU - Brakenridge, G. Robert
AU - Newsom, Horton E.
AU - Baker, Victor R.
PY - 1985
Y1 - 1985
N2 - At least two classes of small valleys (subparallel slope ravines and flat-floored branching valleys) shown on Viking imagery of Mars exhibit spatial relationships to impact structures. Cessation of their formation at the terminus of the heavy bombardment period, about 3.8 Ga, also implies a causal relationship between valley formation and cratering. We hypothesize that these valley types originated through the interaction of ground ice and hot springs located along the permeable fringes of slowly cooling impact melts. The valleys grew by a combination of headward sapping and down-valley water and ice fluid flow. The probable widespread operation of impact-related hydrothermal systems early in Mars history indicates that it is not necessary to infer atmospheric changes to explain valley origin.
AB - At least two classes of small valleys (subparallel slope ravines and flat-floored branching valleys) shown on Viking imagery of Mars exhibit spatial relationships to impact structures. Cessation of their formation at the terminus of the heavy bombardment period, about 3.8 Ga, also implies a causal relationship between valley formation and cratering. We hypothesize that these valley types originated through the interaction of ground ice and hot springs located along the permeable fringes of slowly cooling impact melts. The valleys grew by a combination of headward sapping and down-valley water and ice fluid flow. The probable widespread operation of impact-related hydrothermal systems early in Mars history indicates that it is not necessary to infer atmospheric changes to explain valley origin.
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U2 - 10.1130/0091-7613(1985)13<859:AHSOMO>2.0.CO;2
DO - 10.1130/0091-7613(1985)13<859:AHSOMO>2.0.CO;2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0001367095
SN - 0091-7613
VL - 13
SP - 859
EP - 862
JO - Geology
JF - Geology
IS - 12
ER -