Exploring the transition between water- and wind-dominated landscapes in Deep Springs, California, as an analog for transitioning landscapes on Mars

Abstract

Abstract. Many planetary surfaces have been shaped by eolian and fluvial processes, and understanding the resulting landscape is of critical importance to understanding changes in climate. Surface features on Earth and Mars are commonly observed using a variety of remote sensing methods. The observed geomorphology provides evidence of present processes and paleo-processes, but interpretations are limited by the resolution of the data and similarity to well-understood systems on Earth. In this work, we study a complex fluvio-lacustrine and eolian landscape at Deep Springs playa, California, using field measurements and remote sensing as an analog for a wet-to-dry-transitioning landscape on Mars. The playa system in arid Deep Springs reflects fluvio-lacustrine processes in its interior but transitions to eolian-dominated processes along the playa margin. Weather station data and field observations collected over 34 months illustrate the interplay between eolian and lacustrine processes and provide context for interpreting the observed geomorphology in aerial images. Our results showed a consistent distal-to-proximal geomorphic transition in the landscape defined by the changing expression of polygonal fractures, wave ripples, and evaporite deposits. Crescent-shaped sedimentary deposits, originally suspected to be related to barchan dunes, proved unrelated to eolian processes. We discuss the processes, sedimentary features, and climate drivers at Deep Springs to provide a potential framework for identifying and interpreting similar interactions between fluvio-lacustrine and eolian geomorphology elsewhere on Earth, on Mars, and beyond.