Catalogue of large alluvial fans in martian impact craters

Erin R. Kraal; Erik Asphaug; Jeffery M. Moore; Alan Howard; Adam Bredt

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028

Catalogue of large alluvial fans in martian impact craters

Erin R. Kraal, Erik Asphaug, Jeffery M. Moore, Alan Howard, Adam Bredt

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

We conducted a systematic, global survey using Thermal Emission Imaging System Infrared (THEMIS IR) coverage (∼100 m/pixel) to search for large alluvial fans in impact craters on Mars. Our survey has focused on large fans (apron areas greater than ∼40 km², usually located in craters greater than 20 km in diameter) due to the resolution of the THEMIS images and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) coverage. We find that the host craters are found to have a distinctive diameter range from 30-150 km. The fans generally cluster in three geographic areas-southern Margaritifer Terra, southwestern Terra Sabaea, and southwestern Tyrrhena Terra, however several outliers do exist. The alluvial fans do not form in a particular orientation along the crater rim nor are they associated with the location of current high rim topography. Fan area magnitude and variability increase with crater diameter while fan concavity magnitude and variability increase with decreasing crater diameter. Smaller fan aprons in general have higher, more variable concavity. The source of the water forming these fans is uncertain given the challenges of accommodating the global distribution pattern and formation patterns within the craters.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	101-110
Number of pages	10
Journal	Icarus
Volume	194
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028
State	Published - Mar 2008
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Geological processes
Mars
climate
surface

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028

Cite this

@article{f075cf04f5d147a29b8b93f4dfd0c8a1,

title = "Catalogue of large alluvial fans in martian impact craters",

abstract = "We conducted a systematic, global survey using Thermal Emission Imaging System Infrared (THEMIS IR) coverage (∼100 m/pixel) to search for large alluvial fans in impact craters on Mars. Our survey has focused on large fans (apron areas greater than ∼40 km2, usually located in craters greater than 20 km in diameter) due to the resolution of the THEMIS images and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) coverage. We find that the host craters are found to have a distinctive diameter range from 30-150 km. The fans generally cluster in three geographic areas-southern Margaritifer Terra, southwestern Terra Sabaea, and southwestern Tyrrhena Terra, however several outliers do exist. The alluvial fans do not form in a particular orientation along the crater rim nor are they associated with the location of current high rim topography. Fan area magnitude and variability increase with crater diameter while fan concavity magnitude and variability increase with decreasing crater diameter. Smaller fan aprons in general have higher, more variable concavity. The source of the water forming these fans is uncertain given the challenges of accommodating the global distribution pattern and formation patterns within the craters.",

keywords = "Geological processes, Mars, climate, surface",

author = "Kraal, {Erin R.} and Erik Asphaug and Moore, {Jeffery M.} and Alan Howard and Adam Bredt",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by NASA Graduate Student Research Fellowship to E.R.K. and this was written in part with support from NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program to J.M. and A.H. E.I.A. acknowledges the Mars Fundamental Research Program. A.B. acknowledges the UC Santa Cruz Center for the Origin, Dynamics and Evolution of Planets. We thank two anonymous reviewers for useful comments that substantially improved the manuscript. ",

year = "2008",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "194",

pages = "101--110",

journal = "Icarus",

issn = "0019-1035",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Catalogue of large alluvial fans in martian impact craters

AU - Kraal, Erin R.

AU - Asphaug, Erik

AU - Moore, Jeffery M.

AU - Howard, Alan

AU - Bredt, Adam

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by NASA Graduate Student Research Fellowship to E.R.K. and this was written in part with support from NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program to J.M. and A.H. E.I.A. acknowledges the Mars Fundamental Research Program. A.B. acknowledges the UC Santa Cruz Center for the Origin, Dynamics and Evolution of Planets. We thank two anonymous reviewers for useful comments that substantially improved the manuscript.

PY - 2008/3

Y1 - 2008/3

N2 - We conducted a systematic, global survey using Thermal Emission Imaging System Infrared (THEMIS IR) coverage (∼100 m/pixel) to search for large alluvial fans in impact craters on Mars. Our survey has focused on large fans (apron areas greater than ∼40 km2, usually located in craters greater than 20 km in diameter) due to the resolution of the THEMIS images and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) coverage. We find that the host craters are found to have a distinctive diameter range from 30-150 km. The fans generally cluster in three geographic areas-southern Margaritifer Terra, southwestern Terra Sabaea, and southwestern Tyrrhena Terra, however several outliers do exist. The alluvial fans do not form in a particular orientation along the crater rim nor are they associated with the location of current high rim topography. Fan area magnitude and variability increase with crater diameter while fan concavity magnitude and variability increase with decreasing crater diameter. Smaller fan aprons in general have higher, more variable concavity. The source of the water forming these fans is uncertain given the challenges of accommodating the global distribution pattern and formation patterns within the craters.

AB - We conducted a systematic, global survey using Thermal Emission Imaging System Infrared (THEMIS IR) coverage (∼100 m/pixel) to search for large alluvial fans in impact craters on Mars. Our survey has focused on large fans (apron areas greater than ∼40 km2, usually located in craters greater than 20 km in diameter) due to the resolution of the THEMIS images and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) coverage. We find that the host craters are found to have a distinctive diameter range from 30-150 km. The fans generally cluster in three geographic areas-southern Margaritifer Terra, southwestern Terra Sabaea, and southwestern Tyrrhena Terra, however several outliers do exist. The alluvial fans do not form in a particular orientation along the crater rim nor are they associated with the location of current high rim topography. Fan area magnitude and variability increase with crater diameter while fan concavity magnitude and variability increase with decreasing crater diameter. Smaller fan aprons in general have higher, more variable concavity. The source of the water forming these fans is uncertain given the challenges of accommodating the global distribution pattern and formation patterns within the craters.

KW - Geological processes

KW - Mars

KW - climate

KW - surface

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=39149141552&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=39149141552&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028

DO - 10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.028

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:39149141552

SN - 0019-1035

VL - 194

SP - 101

EP - 110

JO - Icarus

JF - Icarus

IS - 1

ER -

Catalogue of large alluvial fans in martian impact craters

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this