Sourdough Rock Glacier, Alaska: An Analog to Martian Debris-Covered Glaciers
Petersen EI, Holt JW, Stuurman CM, Levy JS, Nerozzi S, Paine JG, Larsen CF, Fahnestock M. 2016. Sourdough Rock Glacier, Alaska: An Analog to Martian Debris-Covered Glaciers. 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference - 2016
Debris-covered glaciers are found in abundance in the northern and southern mid-latitudes of Mars where they fill craters and valleys and surround the bases of high mesas and massifs. They exhibit distinctive flow patterns including flow-parallel lineations and compressional ridges. These morphologies record information about flow patterns which may potentially be used to constrain rheological models. Terrestrial rock glaciers have often been invoked as analogs to Martian debris-covered glaciers, as they exhibit similar morphology. Rock glaciers range in composition from pure glacier ice under a debris mantle to heterogeneous mixtures of ice and debris. There is no comprehensive understanding of rock glacier dynamics, but some studies suggest that climate as well as flow history may be recorded in transverse ridge morphology. The goal of this ongoing study is to investigate the relationships between rock glacier flow, internal structure, and surface morphology by utilizing ground-based and airborne geophysics on Sourdough Rock Glacier in Alaska, as well as assess its viability as a Martian analog.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding
- Date of Issue
- 2016
- Units
- WRST
- Keywords
- airborne geophysics, Alaska, Debris-covered glaciers, ground-based geophysics, martian analog, rock glacier flow, Rock Glaciers, Sourdough Peak, sourdough rock glacier, St. Elias Mountains, surface morphology
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Glacial Features and Processes