Onset and migration of spiral troughs on Mars revealed by orbital radar

Isaac B. Smith () and John W. Holt
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Isaac B. Smith: University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, Austin, Texas 78758, USA
John W. Holt: University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, Austin, Texas 78758, USA

Nature, 2010, vol. 465, issue 7297, 450-453

Abstract: Martian landmarks on the radar The northern polar cap of Mars, containing enough water to cover the entire planet to a depth of several metres, features two major landforms that stand above all others. These are the enormous canyon, Chasma Boreale, and a series of spiral troughs. The processes leading to their formation have remained unclear. Now two papers in this issue present detailed histories of both systems. John Holt and colleagues use penetrating radar imagery from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's radar sounder to show that depositional processes — rather than a catastrophic event — formed the Chasma Boreale. Isaac Smith and John Holt use Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data to rule out erosional cutting of polar ice as the cause of the central troughs, and instead conclude that they too are largely depositional, having migrated polewards and upwards in elevation in the past two million years.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09049

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