Extensive Amazonian‐aged fluvial channels on Mars: Evaluating the role of Lyot crater in their formation

Weiss, D. K.; Head, J. W.; Palumbo, A. M.; Cassanelli, J. P.

doi:10.1002/2017gl073821

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Furthermore, the largest Amazonian impact (~225 km diameter Lyot crater) does not appear to have produced global or regional rainfall (Weiss et al. ).…”

Section: Outlining and Documenting The Icase Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact cratering as a cause of climate change, surface alteration, and resurfacing during the early history of Mars

Palumbo

Head

2017

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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Ancient valley networks (VNs) and related open‐ and closed‐basin lakes are testimony to the presence of flowing liquid water on the surface of Mars in the Late Noachian and Early Hesperian. Uncertain, however, has been the mechanism responsible for causing the necessary rainfall and runoff and/or snowfall and subsequent melting. Impact cratering has been proposed (e.g., Segura et al. 2002) as a process for temporarily raising temperatures and inducing conditions that would produce rainfall, snowmelt, runoff, and formation of the VNs and associated lacustrine features. We refer to the collective effects of this process as the ICASE model (impact cratering atmospheric/surface effects). In this contribution, we assess the proposed impact cratering mechanism in order to understand its climatic implications for early Mars: we outline the step‐by‐step events in the cratering process and explore the predictions for atmospheric and surface geological consequences. For large and basin‐scale impacts, rainfall should be globally and homogeneously distributed and characterized by very high temperatures. Rainfall rates are predicted to be high, ~2 m yr−1, similar to rates in tropical rainforests on Earth, and runoff rates are correspondingly very high. These predicted characteristics do not seem to be consistent with the observed VNs, which are mainly equatorial and not homogeneous in their distribution. Prior to the Late Noachian, however, we predict that basin‐scale impact effects are very likely to contribute significantly to degradation of crater rims and regional smoothing of terrain, implying vast resurfacing and resetting of crater ages following large crater and basin‐scale impacts. Furthermore, the high temperatures of impact‐induced rainwater and snowmelt and the pervasive penetration of heat into the regolith substrate are predicted to have a significant influence on the mineralogical alteration of the crust and its resulting physical properties. We conclude by describing a case example (Isidis basin) and describe how the ICASE model provides an alternative scenario for the interpretation of the layered phyllosilicates in the Nili Fossae and NE Sytris regions. We outline specific conclusions and recommendations designed to improve the ICASE model and to promote further understanding of its implications for the geological, mineralogical, and climate history of early Mars.

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“…Furthermore, the largest Amazonian impact (~225 km diameter Lyot crater) does not appear to have produced global or regional rainfall (Weiss et al. ).…”

Section: Outlining and Documenting The Icase Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact cratering as a cause of climate change, surface alteration, and resurfacing during the early history of Mars

Palumbo

Head

2017

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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“…In search for associated mineralogical traces of fluvial activities, we find no hydrous mineral detections associated to the fluvial channels north of Lyot extending from its ejecta blanket, which are a sign of postimpact, and likely impact‐induced, fluvial activity (Harrison et al, ; Weiss et al, ), in contrast to the diverse hydrous mineralogy found within Lyot crater and other smaller craters. Although dust cover may mask some potential mineral detections, we find it unlikely that dust cover is the sole reason for the lack of detection of hydrous minerals, in particular with various exposures of smaller complex craters and scarps in this region and the relatively light dust cover compared to Deuteronilus Mensae (Ruff & Christensen, ), where hydrous minerals have been identified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Channelized scablands are found to the north of Lyot outside the ejecta blanket (Harrison et al, ) with only a few small, morphologically distinct channels recently identified on the ejecta (Weiss et al, ). Thirty‐two CRISM‐targeted images were examined (see Table ) north of Lyot crater covering the region where fluvial channels have been previously identified, and we did not identify any hydrous minerals.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar channels emanating from ejecta (and/or dissected terrains) were observed associated with well‐preserved large craters on Noachian terrains, (G. A. Morgan & Head, ; Jones et al, ). Proposed formation mechanisms for channels emanating from ejecta blankets include dewatering of hot impact ejecta (Harrison et al, ; Jones et al, ; G. A. Morgan & Head, ; Weiss et al, ), seismically triggered shallow groundwater flow (Harrison et al, ), or melting of surface snow/ice (Weiss et al, ). Within Lyot crater, kilometer‐long fluvial channels emanate from crater walls, possibly due to localized melting of ice, promoted by the relatively higher surface atmospheric pressures, which result from the low elevation of crater floor (Dickson et al, ).…”

Section: Geological Context Of Lyot and Previous Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aqueous Processes From Diverse Hydrous Minerals in the Vicinity of Amazonian‐Aged Lyot Crater

Pan

Ehlmann

2018

JGR Planets

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Amazonian‐aged Lyot crater is the best‐preserved and deepest peak‐ring impact crater (diameter, D = 220 km) in the northern lowlands of Mars. Morphological features including scouring channels emanating from its ejecta and small channels within the crater have been examined previously to understand hydrological activity associated with the crater. In this study, we analyze images acquired by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to investigate the mineralogical record in Lyot and its surroundings, which are presently enriched in ground ice, to understand the associated aqueous processes, their relative timing, and a possible role for ground ice in hydrous mineral formation. We find diverse hydrous minerals, including Fe/Mg phyllosilicates, chlorite, illite/muscovite, and prehnite in Lyot crater walls, central peak, and ejecta, as well as in two craters to the west of Lyot. The exposure and distribution of the hydrous minerals suggest that they are related to the impact process, either exposed by the excavation of hydrothermally altered rocks or formed through syn‐depositional hydrothermal alteration immediately after impacts. The Lyot impact induced channel formation to the north, but no mineralogical evidence of aqueous alteration associated with the channels is observed. The sinuous channels within Lyot, diverted by bedrock units with hydrous mineral detections, did not cause mineralization but likely represent the last stage of water activity in Lyot crater. The separate episodes of water activity indicate flow of liquid water on Mars' surface during the Amazonian but limited to no aqueous alteration to generate hydrous minerals.

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“…Cassanelli et al () reported the late Noachian Icy Highlands, which describes about the distribution of ice at the surface. In such scenario, possible channel origins form the contact melting from ejecta (Weiss et al, ) or thermal anomaly of impacts and their ejecta over ice‐bearing terrains forms channels (Mangold, ). However, in Reuyl crater, no channels are observed over the ejecta blanket and its immediate surrounding vicinity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for Multiple Superposed Fluvial Deposits Within Reuyl Crater, Mars

et al. 2020

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Reuyl is an 85‐km‐diameter crater located east of the Aeolis Dorsa region. We present results from geomorphic mapping and high‐resolution image analyses of Reuyl to understand the provenance of alluvial fans, superposed deposits, channels, and sinuous ridges. We distinguish 29 fans or other deposits associated with channels based on their characteristics. Two sinuous ridges are associated with the alluvial fans formed between the wall and peak region. On the southern floor, a sinuous ridge associated with an alluvial fan with channel inversion is orthogonally superposed by another wall‐originated fan deposit. On the western floor, a sinuous ridge associated with an alluvial fan is superposed by wall‐originated deposits. We also observe bajadas, stacked deposits, deposits with incised channels, and overlapping fan ridges, which suggest diverse and long‐lived depositional activity related to a fluvial environment. The central peak is surrounded by a mound deposit with several discontinuous channels. One large fan from the western wall appears more intact than the others, being less eroded and lacking ridges. Reuyl aged as ~3.63 Ga, whereas the first‐order analysis of the fan deposits implies ~3.5 Ga and the large intact deposit is estimated to belong to the Amazonian epoch. We suggest that Reuyl crater likely witnessed and recorded the transition from alluvial fan to large younger intact deposits, which possibly suggests a decrease in water/volatile‐related activity and/or change in sediment supply. Overall, the diverse superposed fan deposits within Reuyl reveal noncoeval activity and provide comprehensive evidence for long‐lived fluvial activity during the post‐Noachian epoch.

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Extensive Amazonian‐aged fluvial channels on Mars: Evaluating the role of Lyot crater in their formation

Cited by 10 publications

References 49 publications

Impact cratering as a cause of climate change, surface alteration, and resurfacing during the early history of Mars

Impact cratering as a cause of climate change, surface alteration, and resurfacing during the early history of Mars

Aqueous Processes From Diverse Hydrous Minerals in the Vicinity of Amazonian‐Aged Lyot Crater

Evidence for Multiple Superposed Fluvial Deposits Within Reuyl Crater, Mars

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