Open AccessHow did Martian polar gullies form?
Author(s) -
Balcerak Ernie
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2011eo500019
Subject(s) - martian , mars exploration program , frost (temperature) , polar , sediment , geology , astrobiology , earth science , geomorphology , physics , astronomy
Gullies on Mars have been pointed to as evidence of the presence of flowing liquid water. However, gullies also exist in Mars's polar regions, where temperatures are too low to support liquid water. Other processes have been proposed to explain the origin of gullies but have not been confirmed. For instance, sediment lying on top of a seasonal accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) frost could flow like a fluid if the frost sublimes (turns to gas directly from the solid stage) quickly enough. This fluidized sediment could form gullies.