Dynamics of recent landslides (<20 My) on Mars: Insights from high-resolution topography on Earth and Mars and numerical modelling

Guimpier, A.; Conway, S.J.; Mangeney, A.; Lucas, A.; Mangold, N.; Peruzzetto, M.; Pajola, M.; Lucchetti, A.; Munaretto, G.; Sæmundsson, T.; Johnsson, A.; Le Deit, L.; Grindrod, P.; Davis, J.; Thomas, N.; Cremonese, G. (2021). Dynamics of recent landslides (<20 My) on Mars: Insights from high-resolution topography on Earth and Mars and numerical modelling. Planetary and space science, 206, p. 105303. Elsevier 10.1016/j.pss.2021.105303

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Landslides are common features found on steep slopes on Mars and the role of water in their formation is an open
question. Our study focuses on three young martian landslides whose mechanism of formation is unknown and
knowing their formation mechanism could give us key information on recent martian climate and/or tectonics.
They are less than 5 km long, and formed during the Late Amazonian Epoch, with an age <20 Ma when Mars is
thought to have had a hyperarid climate. To better understand the dynamics and formation mechanism of these
landslides, we combine two approaches: geomorphic comparison between martian and terrestrial landslides using
remote sensing data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and the Colour and Stereo
Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS), and numerical modelling using a dry granular flow dynamical model. Our
geomorphic analysis revealed two contrasting morphologies suggesting differing dynamics and formation
mechanisms. Two of the three martian landslides resemble terrestrial rockslides, while the third is more akin to
terrestrial mudslides. The numerical modelling, although not fully conclusive, broadly supports our in-
terpretations from the morphological observations. We suggest that the two landslides resembling terrestrial
rockslides could have been triggered by shaking by meteorite impact or marsquakes in the absence of water. On
the contrary, we suggest liquid water (originating from ground-ice melted by geothermal heat flux) may have
been involved in the initiation of the landslide resembling a terrestrial mudslide. Our results show the value of
using morphological comparison between martian and terrestrial landslides combined with numerical modelling
to inform the hypotheses of landslide-formation on Mars where in situ analysis is not usually possible.

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