Martian gullies, resembling water-carved features on Earth, defy explanation by water-driven processes. This research combines laboratory experiments simulating CO₂-driven granular flows under Martian atmospheric pressure with climate simulation modeling to investigate how, where, and when CO₂ sublimation drives present-day gully activity. The study demonstrates that CO₂ ice sublimation fluidizes sediment, creating morphologies similar to Martian observations. Furthermore, modeled climatic and topographic conditions align with current gully activity, suggesting CO₂ sublimation as a significant process influencing gully formation and challenging the assumption that gullies definitively indicate liquid water.
Publisher
Communications Earth & Environment
Published On
Mar 13, 2024
Authors
Lonneke Roelofs, Susan J. Conway, Tjalling de Haas, Colin Dundas, Stephen R. Lewis, Jim McElwaine, Kelly Pasquon, Jan Raack, Matthew Sylvest, Manish R. Patel
Tags
Martian gullies
CO₂ sublimation
granular flows
climate modeling
gully activity
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