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- P33A-01: Ages of Mars’ Mid-Latitude Ice Exposing Scarps and Relating Ridge Morphology to Climate Cycles (invited)
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NOLA CC
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Ali Bramson, Purdue University (First Author, Presenting Author)
Laura S. Pérez Mancipe, Purdue University
Kris L. Laferriere, Purdue University
David Baker, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Cliffs were found on Mars that cut through and expose thick deposits of ice that are buried just underneath the surface. At the bottom of the cliff is a long pit which suggests the cliff has slowly moved back towards its current position as ice is lost from the cliff when the Sun heats it up. There are ridges within the pit, and these ridges could be places where the cliff was stable in one place for long enough that debris piled up at its base. We mapped these ridges in images taken by spacecraft at Mars to look for patterns across the different sites that contain the cliffs. We also ran a computer simulation of the stability of the icy cliffs over time as Mars has undergone subtle changes in how it rotates around the Sun. Based on how fast the cliffs could lose their ice and the size of the pit, we find the cliffs are likely around 500,000 years old. Within this time, the cliff experienced several events where it would be stuck in place, which matches the number of ridges we see. This work allows us to relate surface features to ice ages on another planet.
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