Abstract

Catastrophic floods generated ~3.2 Ga by rapid groundwater evacuation scoured the Solar System’s most voluminous channels, the southern circum-Chryse outflow channels. Based on Viking Orbiter data analysis, it was hypothesized that these outflows emanated from a global Hesperian cryosphere-confined aquifer that was infused by south polar meltwater infiltration into the planet’s upper crust. In this model, the outflow channels formed along zones of superlithostatic pressure generated by pronounced elevation differences around the Highland-Lowland Dichotomy Boundary. However, the restricted geographic location of the channels indicates that these conditions were not uniform Boundary. Furthermore, some outflow channel sources are too high to have been fed by south polar basal melting. Using more recent mission data, we argue that during the Late Noachian fluvial and glacial sediments were deposited into a clastic wedge within a paleo-basin located in the southern circum-Chryse region, which was then completely submerged under a primordial northern plains ocean. Subsequent Late Hesperian outflow channels were sourced from within these geologic materials and formed by gigantic groundwater outbursts driven by an elevated hydraulic head from the Valles Marineris region. Thus, our findings link the formation of the southern circum-Chryse outflow channels to ancient marine, glacial, and fluvial erosion and sedimentation.

Highlights

  • Of high elevation outflow channels in the circum-Chryse region[7,8] can be explained by the presence of an aquifer system that extended from the Tharsis Montes to the outflow channel head source regions[9]

  • It was subsequently discovered that rather than possessing global megaregolith, much of the Martian upper crust appears to be dominated by Noachian sedimentary deposits of great stratigraphic thicknesses that both infill and bury numerous impact craters[10,11]

  • It was proposed that, instead of a megaregolith-trapped hydrosphere[1,2,6], significant portions of these outflow-channel-source (OFCS) aquifers might have consisted of water-ice contained within buried impact craters and impact-fractured rocks[12,13]

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Summary

Introduction

Of high elevation outflow channels in the circum-Chryse region[7,8] can be explained by the presence of an aquifer system that extended from the Tharsis Montes to the outflow channel head source regions[9]. It was proposed that, instead of a megaregolith-trapped hydrosphere[1,2,6], significant portions of these outflow-channel-source (OFCS) aquifers might have consisted of water-ice contained within buried impact craters and impact-fractured rocks[12,13].

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