Possible open-system (hydraulic) pingos in and around the Argyre impact region of Mars

Soare, R.J.; Conway, S.J.; Dohm, J.M.; Elmaarry, Mohamed Ramy (2014). Possible open-system (hydraulic) pingos in and around the Argyre impact region of Mars. Earth and planetary science letters, 398, pp. 25-36. Elsevier 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.04.044

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We report the observation of possible (hydraulic) open-system pingos (OSPs ) at the mid latitudes (∼37°S) in and around the Argyre impact-basin. OSPs are perennial (water)–ice cored mounds; they originate and evolve in periglacial and pro-glacial landscapes on Earth where intra- or sub-permafrost water under hydraulic/artesian pressure uplifts localised sections of surface or near-surface permafrost that then freezes in-situ. We invoke three lines of evidence in support of our analogue-based interpretation: (1) similarities of shape, size and summit traits between terrestrial OSPs and the Martian mounds; (2) clustered distribution and the slope-side location of the mounds, consistent with terrestrial permafrost-environments where OSPs are found; and, (3) spatially-associated landforms putatively indicative of periglacial and glacial processes on Mars that characterise OSP landscapes on Earth.
This article presents five OSP candidate-locations and nests these mound locations within a new geological map of the Argyre impact-basin and margins. It also presents three periglacial hypotheses about the possible origin of the water required to develop the mounds. Alternative (non-periglacial) formation-hypotheses also are considered; however, we show that their robustness is not equal to that of the periglacial ones.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute > Space Research and Planetary Sciences

UniBE Contributor:

Elmaarry, Mohamed Ramy

Subjects:

500 Science > 520 Astronomy
600 Technology > 620 Engineering
500 Science > 530 Physics

ISSN:

0012-821X

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Cléa Serpollier

Date Deposited:

14 Apr 2015 11:55

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:45

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.epsl.2014.04.044

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.66575

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/66575

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