MARS THROUGH TIME
Climatic Cycles on Mars and Related Depositional Environments Martian geologic-dynamic landscape results from a complex
interplay of endogenic and exogenic processes, including volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, fluvial erosion, glaciation, and aeolian activity (Carr, 1996; Mangold, 2005). The planet's surface is broadly divided into three physiographic provinces (Fig. 2): the heavily cratered southern highlands, typified by ancient, rugged terrain; the smoother, younger northern lowlands; and the Tharsis volcanic plateau, which hosts some of the largest volcanoes in the solar system, including Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons, and Ascraeus Mons (Tanaka et al., 2014).
Each major climatic cycle corresponds to variations in atmospheric density and temperature, which have governed the presence and stability of liquid water and ice, thereby driving the development of distinct depositional environments (Ehlmann and Edwards, 2014). These climatic phases have left identifiable stratigraphic and geomorphological signatures such as valley networks, layered sedimentary deposits, glacial landforms, and extensive dune fields, which collectively document the Martian evolving surface conditions (Hynek et al., 2010; Head and Marchant, 2014).
Geologic and geomorphologic evidence reveal a prolonged
Figure 1. Geologic time scale showing the important events of Mars through time (modified from Werner and Tanaka, 2011; Lagain et al., 2021, Howari et al, 2021).
and varied history of hydrological activity on Mars. The presence of dendritic valley networks, paleolake basins, outflow channels, and polar layered deposits strongly indicates that liquid water significantly shaped the Martian surface during multiple intervals in its history. Remote sensing and in situ mineralogical analyses from missions including Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) have characterized a surface composition dominated by iron oxides, particularly hematite, responsible for the planet's distinctive red coloration. Additional minerals such as pyroxenes, olivine, feldspars, and phyllosilicates reflect a complex interplay of igneous activity and
Figure 2. Topographic map of Mars with heavily cratered southern highlands and the younger northern lowlands. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (2004). 8 TPG •
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