Reconstructing the past climate at Gale crater, Mars, from hydrological modeling of late‐stage lakes
Citations Over TimeTop 15% of 2017 papers
Abstract
Abstract The sedimentary deposits in Gale crater may preserve one of the best records of the early Martian climate during the Late Noachian and Early Hesperian. Surface and orbital observations support the presence of two periods of lake stability in Gale crater—prior to the formation of the sedimentary mound during the Late Noachian and after the formation and erosion of the mound to its present state in the Early Hesperian. Here we use hydrological models and late‐stage lake levels at Gale, to reconstruct the climate of Mars after mound formation and erosion to its present state. Using Earth analog climates, we show that the late‐stage lakes require wetter interludes characterized by semiarid climates after the transition to arid conditions in the Hesperian. These climates are much wetter than is thought to characterize much of the Hesperian and are more similar to estimates of the Late Noachian climate.
Related Papers
- → Asynchronous formation of Hesperian and Amazonian‐aged deltas on Mars and implications for climate(2013)89 cited
- → Amazonian‐aged fluvial valley systems in a climatic microenvironment on Mars: Melting of ice deposits on the interior of Lyot Crater(2009)73 cited
- Climate Change on Mars: From Wet in the Noachian at Meridiani to Dry and Desiccating in the Hesperian/Amazonian Plains of Gusev(2004)
- Equatorial Periglacial Terrains, Lacustrine Environments, and Fluvial Networks at the Hesperian-Amazonian Age Boundary on Mars(2012)
- Geomorphic record of Noachian, Hesperian and Amazonian materials and deposits preserved within Asimov Crater, Mars: A cross-sectional view of the role of volatiles through martian history(2010)