Mars Habitability, Biosignature Preservation, and Mission SupportOur work has elucidated a new analog for the formation of giant polygons on Mars, involving fluid expulsion in a subaqueous environment. That work is based on three-dimensional (3D) seismic data on Earth that illustrate the mud volcanoes and giant polygons that result from sediment compaction in offshore settings. The description of this process has been published in the journal Icarus, where it will be part of a special volume on Martian analogs. These ideas have been carried further to suggest that giant polygons in the Martian lowlands may be the signature of an ancient ocean and, as such, could mark a region of enhanced habitability. A paper describing this hypothesis has been published in the journal Astrobiology.
Document ID
20150003796
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Oehler, Dorothy Z. (Universities Space Research Association Houston, TX, United States)
Allen, Carlton C. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)