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Liquid CO 2 breakout and the formation of recent small gullies on Mars
Author(s) -
Musselwhite Donald S.,
Swindle Timothy D.,
Lunine Jonathan I.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012496
Subject(s) - geology , mars exploration program , clathrate hydrate , cliff , erosion , entrainment (biomusicology) , aquifer , liquid water , geomorphology , aeolian processes , hydrology (agriculture) , groundwater , earth science , astrobiology , geotechnical engineering , hydrate , paleontology , philosophy , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , rhythm , aesthetics
We show that the action of a CO 2 suspended flow could have produced the recent small gullies on Mars, and, hence, that liquid water is not required. The model involves the build‐up of a liquid‐CO 2 aquifer behind and below a dry‐ice barrier (dam/cap rock) in the pore spaces a few meters into the rock from the cliff face and on order of a hundred meters below the top of the cliff brink surface. Seasonal (or obliquity‐cycle‐seasonal) heating causes pinching out of the dry‐ice barrier and rapid release of the liquid CO 2 . Erosion of the gullies occurs as the rapid vaporization of the liquid CO 2 with entrainment of rock and clathrate‐hydrate ice produces a density flow analogous to a terrestrial nue ardente.