Published February 2015
| public
Journal Article
Long-runout landslides and the long-lasting effects of early water activity on Mars
Abstract
Long-runout subaerial landslides (>50 km) are rare on Earth but are common features shaping Mars' Valles Marineris troughs. In this study, we investigated the highly debated emplacement mechanisms of these Martian landslides by combining spectral and satellite-image analyses. Our results suggest that hydrated silicates played a decisive role in facilitating landslide transport by lubricating the basal sliding zone. This new understanding implies that clay minerals, generated as a result of water-rock interactions in the Noachian and Hesperian (4.1–3.3 Ga), exert a long-lasting influence on geomorphic processes that shape the surface of the planet.
Additional Information
© 2015 Geological Society of America. Manuscript received 23 August 2014; Revised manuscript received 8 November 2014; Manuscript accepted 12 November 2014. First published online January 5, 2015. This project is supported by National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship DGE-1144087 to Watkins. This paper benefited from critical reviews by A. Lucas, C. Okubo, editor J. Spotila, and anonymous reviewers.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 55189
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20150225-093353538
- DGE-1144087
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- Created
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2015-02-25Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences