| タイトル | "The Waters of Meridiani" - Further Support for a Fluvial Interpretation of the Ridged, Layered Units |
| 著者（英） | Kreslavsky, Misha; Wilkinson, Justin |
| 著者所属（英） | NASA Johnson Space Center |
| 発行日 | 2009-02-27 |
| 言語 | eng |
| 内容記述 | A relatively unknown terrestrial fluvial environment, the mesoscale megafan, provides analogs for various Martian landscapes, including the etched unit (etched unit, Unite E of Arvidson et al., 2003; ridge-forming unit R of Edgett, 2005) of the Sinus Meridiani region on Mars. A global survey of Earth shows that megafans are very large partial cones of dominantly fluvial sediment with radii on the order of hundreds of km, and very low slopes. Responsible fluvial processes are sufficiently different from those of classical arid alluvial fans and deltas that it is useful to class megafans as separate features. The megafan model calls into question two commonly held ideas. 1. Earth examples prove that topographic basins per se are unnecessary for the accumulation of large sedimentary bodies. 2. River channels are by no means restricted to valleys (Meridiani sediments are termed a "valley-ed volume" of Edgett). These perspectives reveal unexpected parallels with features at Meridiani-several channel-like features that are widespread, mostly as ridges inverted by eolian erosion; channel networks covering thousands of sq km, especially on intercrater plains; and regional relationships of sediment bodies situated immediately downstream of highland masses. These all suggest that fluvial explanations are at least part of the Meridiani story. |
| NASA分類 | Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration |
| レポートNO | JSC-17901 |
| 権利 | No Copyright |
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