American Geophysical Union - 04 May 2010
First high-resolution stratigraphic column of the Martian north polar layered depositsA new stratigraphic record of Martian polar layered deposits could help scientists shed light on Mars’s climate history. Stratigraphic layers can give scientists important clues about the conditions at the time the layer of rock formed. Fishbaugh et al. present the first high-resolution stratigraphic column of Marian north polar layered deposits. The researchers use a digital elevation model (a representation of topography) derived from images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment to identify and classify layers in the 400-meter (1,312-feet) stratigraphic column, including several clearly defined “marker bed” layers. The authors also observe that layers get thinner with depth. Furthermore, they find no immediately obvious cyclic pattern in the stratigraphic layers that could correspond to cyclic climatic conditions, indicating that the relationship between Mars’s polar stratigraphy and cyclic climate forcing is complex and needs further investigation. The new stratigraphic column should be useful for future studies of Mars’s climate history.
- Geophysical Research Letters, VOL. 37, L07201, 02 April 2010, doi: 10.1029/2009GL041642