Sorted clastic stripes, lobes and associated gullies in high-latitude craters on Mars: Landforms indicative of very recent, polycyclic ground-ice thaw and liquid flows

Glacier-like forms on Mars

“…These similarities strongly indicate that all such incised terrains have been formed and subsequently influenced by a similar process set, operating widely in Mars' mid-latitudes. These characteristics are consistent with the formation of incisions by occasional surface melting, perhaps beneath a thin layer of surface dust, enhancing albedo and local energy transfer (e.g., Nicholson and Benn, 2006), on the relatively steep edges of surface periglacial patterned ground (Gallagher et al, 2011). The short reach length and absence of a coherent channel network is also consistent with the short-lived nature of any such liquid water, evaporating before sufficient discharge can develop to form a supra-GLF drainage network.…”

Garmada

“…1), some martian gullies have a number of morphological features that appear similar to the features found within terrestrial gullies: Many gullies have sinuous channels, with maximum sinuosity around 1.2 (Mangold et al 2010). Gully channels are often braided with common coarse debris (Gallagher et al 2011). Gully channels possess terraces, cut banks, and teardrop-shaped islands (e.g., …”

Active Boulder Movement at High Martian Latitudes

“…What process is driving this activity? We first consider the possibility of terrestrial‐style solifluction, which has been suggested to be the origin of the lobate features (Gallagher et al, ; Gallagher & Balme, ; Hauber et al, ; Johnsson et al, ). The term solifluction encompasses multiple processes, including gelifluction (movement of saturated soil due to thaw), plug‐like flow, and creep due to periodic heave in freezing ground through the formation and melting of lenses of diurnal or annual frost and needle ice (e.g., Matsuoka, ).…”

“…Lobate features have been described at several locations at high latitudes on Mars (Gallagher et al, ; Gallagher & Balme, ; Hauber et al, ; Johnsson et al, ). These landforms (Figure ) are tens of meters in scale and form larger‐scale patterns and are distinct from the “lobate debris aprons” that occur in the midlatitudes (e.g., Squyres, ).…”