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Tsunami Waves Extensively Resurfaced the Shorelines of an Early Martian OceanViking image-based mapping of a widespread deposit covering most of the northern low-lands of Mars led to the proposal by Parker et al. that the deposit represents the vestiges of an enormous ocean that existed approx. 3.4 Ga. Later identified as the Vastitas Borealis Formation, the latest geologic map of Mars identifies this deposit as the Late Hesperian lowland unit (lHl). This deposit is typically bounded by raised lobate margins. In addition, some margins have associated rille channels, which could have been produced sub-aerially by the back-wash of high-energy tsunami waves. Radar-sounding data indicate that the deposit is ice-rich. However, until now, the lack of wave-cut shoreline features and the presence of lobate margins have remained an im-pediment to the acceptance of the paleo-ocean hypothesis.
Document ID
20170000013
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Rodriguez, J. A. P.
(Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Fairen, A. G.
(Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY, United States)
Linares, R.
(Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) Spain)
Zarroca, M.
(Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) Spain)
Platz, T.
(Freie Univ. Berlin, Germany)
Komatsu, G.
(Universita 'G. d'Annunzio Pescara, Italy)
Kargel, J. S.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Gulick, V.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Jianguo, Y.
(Wuhan Univ. China)
Higuchi, K.
(Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Spain)
Miyamoto, H.
(Tokyo Univ. Japan)
Baker, V. R.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Glines, N.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
January 3, 2017
Publication Date
May 19, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Scientific Reports
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Volume: 6
Issue: 25106
e-ISSN: 2045-2322
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN32584
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA15BB01A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Vastitas Borealis Formation
Mars
Late Hesperian lowland unit (lHl)

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