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Evidence for an ancient martian ocean in the topography of deformed shorelines

Author

Listed:
  • J. Taylor Perron

    (University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
    Present address: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.)

  • Jerry X. Mitrovica

    (University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7, Canada)

  • Michael Manga

    (University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA)

  • Isamu Matsuyama

    (Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015, USA)

  • Mark A. Richards

    (University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA)

Abstract

A stranger shore The question of whether there were oceans on Mars is a compelling topic. All seemed clear when a set of surface features that ring the martian plains for thousands of kilometres were interpreted as relics of former shorelines. But topographic profiles along the putative shorelines revealed long-wavelength trends in elevation, with amplitudes of up to several kilometres. This argued against the shoreline hypothesis. Now, though, the ocean is back with a bang. Perron et al. show that polar wander — a change in the orientation of the planet's surface with respect to its pole of rotation — can explain the shoreline deformation. Moreover, the track of polar wander that would have caused the observed deformation seems consistent with the planet's rotational dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Taylor Perron & Jerry X. Mitrovica & Michael Manga & Isamu Matsuyama & Mark A. Richards, 2007. "Evidence for an ancient martian ocean in the topography of deformed shorelines," Nature, Nature, vol. 447(7146), pages 840-843, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:447:y:2007:i:7146:d:10.1038_nature05873
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05873
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