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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.01047 |
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| _version_ | 1866915179407605760 |
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| author | Turner, Madison L. Khan, Sabrina Y. Lewis, Kevin W. Noblet, Axel Kite, Edwin S. |
| author_facet | Turner, Madison L. Khan, Sabrina Y. Lewis, Kevin W. Noblet, Axel Kite, Edwin S. |
| contents | Mars' sedimentary rocks record Gyrs of environmental change. New data enable the first global analysis of paleo-environment relevant physical properties of these rocks, including layer thickness and accumulation rate. We find that layer thicknesses of post-3.5 Ga sedimentary rocks across the Martian surface show coherent variations at ~1000 km-scale that are inconsistent with simple volcanic and climatic hypotheses for formation, which are consistent with global compositional homogeneity at orbital scales. These data, in combination with new analyses of outcrop age and total rock volume demonstrate a global decrease in layer thickness that predates the eventual drop off in preserved sedimentary rock volume per Myr. The new constraints confirm a diachronous transition in Mars' global sedimentary rock record while also highlighting a regional dichotomy in young sedimentary rock deposits that has not been quantified before. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_01047 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Mars' Young Sedimentary Rocks: Early thinning, late persistence, diachronous boundaries, and a regional dichotomy Turner, Madison L. Khan, Sabrina Y. Lewis, Kevin W. Noblet, Axel Kite, Edwin S. Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Mars' sedimentary rocks record Gyrs of environmental change. New data enable the first global analysis of paleo-environment relevant physical properties of these rocks, including layer thickness and accumulation rate. We find that layer thicknesses of post-3.5 Ga sedimentary rocks across the Martian surface show coherent variations at ~1000 km-scale that are inconsistent with simple volcanic and climatic hypotheses for formation, which are consistent with global compositional homogeneity at orbital scales. These data, in combination with new analyses of outcrop age and total rock volume demonstrate a global decrease in layer thickness that predates the eventual drop off in preserved sedimentary rock volume per Myr. The new constraints confirm a diachronous transition in Mars' global sedimentary rock record while also highlighting a regional dichotomy in young sedimentary rock deposits that has not been quantified before. |
| title | Mars' Young Sedimentary Rocks: Early thinning, late persistence, diachronous boundaries, and a regional dichotomy |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.01047 |