Authors:

Laura Sofia Perez

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Ice scarps have been found in Martian mid-latitudes, but their origin remains uncertain and the mechanisms driving their evolution are still unknown. These icy scarps often contain multiple ridges, which may result from variations in sublimation rates of exposed ice, possibly influenced by changes in obliquity, leading to the accumulation of lag in the scarp's pit. We aim to relate the timing of sublimation changes with the amount and separation of ridges in a representative scarp (named South 1) in the southern hemisphere, and compare ridge properties (i.e., quantity and spacing) at scarp sites across different latitudes and hemispheres. We base our project on a compiled list of documented scarps on Mars, with a detailed focus on South 1 for sublimation rate analysis. We perform topographical analysis using the GIS software JMARS and high-resolution HiRISE images to identify scarps and map their main ridges. A 1-D thermal model is used to simulate Martian surface conditions over the past 20 million years, using obliquity variations to generate yearly surface temperatures and sublimation rates, starting with present-day parameters. We also use the model to test sublimation sensitivity to changes in elevation, slope, and scarp orientation. We compare topographic ridge data to identify key differences between ridges in the southern and northern hemispheres and detect regional patterns in morphology. We will assess whether obliquity-driven sublimation cycles can be linked to ridge formation and whether these features preserve a record of past Martian climate. Preliminary results show alternating sublimation rates at South 1 that may correspond to observed ridges. Keywords: Mars; Ice Scarps; Sublimation; Ridges; Obliquity Cycles

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Laura Sofia Perez