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Do Deltas Along the Crustal Dichotomy Boundary of Mars in the Gale Crater Region Record a Northern Ocean?
Author(s) -
RiveraHernández Frances,
Palucis Marisa C.
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1029/2019gl083046
Subject(s) - geology , impact crater , delta , mars exploration program , fault scarp , martian , paleontology , tectonics , astrobiology , physics , engineering , aerospace engineering
Deltaic deposits mapped along the Martian crustal dichotomy boundary scarp have been suggested to delineate an ancient ocean in the northern lowlands of Mars. Using recently acquired orbital data, we have expanded the dichotomy delta inventory and performed an updated analysis of delta front elevations, a proxy for paleo‐water levels. Our analysis focused near Gale crater, home of the Curiosity rover. We found that delta front elevations vary by approximately 2,400 m, but these elevation variations do not correspond to modeled deformation from true polar wander or Tharsis. Locally, delta front elevations vary by ≤60 m, and using present‐day topography, they correspond to distinct enclosed basins. We infer that these deltas formed in paleo‐lakes up to approximately 13,000 km 2 and approximately 0.4 km deep, perhaps coeval with paleo‐lakes in Gale. Our results suggest that a northern ocean is not needed to explain the deltaic deposits in the Gale crater region.