Martian sand sheet characterization and implications for formation: A case study

Abstract

Abstract Windblown sand and dust dominate surface geologic processes in Mars’ current environment. Besides sand dune fields, areally extensive sand sheets are common across Mars, blanketing the underlying topography with several meters of rippled sand. Earth’s sand sheets commonly form upwind or cross-wind to dunes and both partially trap and source sediment to downwind dunes. In contrast, Mars’ sheets are frequently located downwind of active barchan and dome sand dunes, suggesting they cannot be a sediment source for the dunes as on Earth. Here, we characterize a Martian sand sheet and its geologic context, model the regional atmospheric circulation, and more broadly consider the implications for sand sheet formation on Mars. Our case study sand sheet in central Herschel Crater is