A revised surface age for the North Polar Layered Deposits of Mars

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

The North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD) of Mars contain a complex stratigraphy that has been suggested to retain a record of past eccentricity- and obliquity-forced climate changes. The surface accumulation rate in the current climate can be constrained by the crater retention age. We scale NPLD crater diameters to account for icy target strength and compare surface age using a new production function for recent small impacts on Mars to the previously used model of Hartmann (2005). Our results indicate that ice is accumulating in these craters several times faster than previously thought, with a 100 m diameter crater being completely infilled within centuries. Craters appear to have a diameter-dependent lifetime, but the data also permit a complete resurfacing of the NPLD at ~1.5 ka.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A revised surface age for the North Polar Layered Deposits of Mars
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1002/2016GL068434
Volume 43
Issue 7
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher AGU Publications
Contributing office(s) Astrogeology Science Center
Description 9 p.
First page 3060
Last page 3068
Other Geospatial Mars
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