Updating the Evidence for Oceans on Early MarsDifferent-sized bodies of water have been proposed to have occurred episodically in the lowlands of Mars throughout the planet's history, largely related to major stages of development of Tharsis and/or orbital obliquity. These water bodies range from large oceans in the Noachian-Early Hesperian, to a minor sea in the Late Hesperian, and dispersed lakes during the Amazonian. To evaluate the more recent discoveries regarding the oceanic possibility, here we perform a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of water on Mars, including: 1. Geological assessment of proposed shorelines; 2. A volumetric approximation to the plains-filing proposed oceans; 3. Geochemistry of the oceans and derived mineralogies; 4. Post-oceanic (i.e., Amazonian) evolution of the shorelines; and 5. Ultimate water evolution on Mars.
Document ID
20040191785
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Fairen, Alberto G. (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Spain)
Dohm, James M. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)