The Climatic and Hydrologic Evolution of Water on Mars

Overview

Explore the fascinating evolution of water on Mars in this comprehensive lecture. Delve into the estimated Martian inventory of H2O, debates on early Mars climate, and potential evolution of the Martian hydrosphere. Examine Mars thermal history models, the nature of the Martian crust, and evidence of impacts into water-rich or ice-rich surfaces. Investigate inferred hydraulic conditions during different geological periods, potential paleoshorelines, and the distribution of valley networks suggesting a northern ocean. Learn about ice instability at low latitudes, potential recharge of subpermafrost groundwater, and geomorphic evidence of polar basal melting. Gain insights into the freezing of a Martian ocean and the thickening of the cryosphere, allowing for the rise of a global water table.

Syllabus

Intro
Why We Care About Water On Mars
Estimated Martian Inventory of H2O
Martian Global Inventory of H2O: -0.5 - 1 km GEL, 2 -3.5 Ga (Carr, 1986)
Early Mars: Warm or Cold?
Potential Evolution of the Martian Hydrosphere
Mars Thermal History Model: Mantle Heat Flow vs. Time 400
Nature of the Martian Crust
Gravitationally-Scaled, Globally-Averaged Porosity & Permeability Profiles for Mars
Crater with Fluidized Ejecta: Potential Indicators of Impacts into a Water-or Ice-Rich Crust
Inferred hydraulic conditions by Late Hesperian, implied by elevation of outflow channel source regions: North
Hydraulic conditions during Late Hesperian
Inferred hydraulic conditions during the Noachian 3.8 Gya after the onset of a colder climate
Geomorphic Identification of Potential Paleoshorelines in the Martian Northern Plains (Parker et al., 1987, 1989, 1993; Clifford and Parker, 2001; Parker et al., 2010)
Distribution of Valley Networks Most Readily Explained by the Existence of a Martian Northern Ocean (Soto et al., 2010)
Instability of ice at low-latitudes leads to sublimation and cold-trapping at the poles
Potential Recharge of Subpermafrost Groundwater by Polar Basal Melting
Geomorphic Evidence of Hesperian-Age Polar Basal Melting: Eskers, Valleys and the Chryse Trough Drainage System
Ocean freezes and cryosphere thickens, permitting rise of global water table