On the Latitudinal Distribution of Debris in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars

Examination of Mariner 9 images showed evidence of debris mantling on Mars. The evidence included craters that appeared to be filled with debris and an apparent lack of small craters. Based on such data, it was suggested that a circumpolar debris mantle exists poleward of about 30N and 30S latitudes. The presence of a debris layer has important implications for the modulation over time of atmospheric pressure by the cap-regolith-atmosphere system. Preliminary efforts in providing constraints on the thickness and distribution of debris are discussed. The initial approach is to examine crater size-frequency data for selected regions on Mars, later expanding the study to include an inventory of aeolian features and other direct indicators of debris deposition. The crater size-frequency distributions for ten regions between latitudes 20N and 80N and covering a range of longitudes were discovered. Crater data were derived from Viking Orbiter images with resolutions of between 26 and 75 meters/pixel.