Diagnostic morphology for Martian groundwater outflows from flume experiments

Abstract

Channels on Mars have been found in many locations and across all possible scales, indi-cating presence of flowing water in the past. Several hypotheses for the formation of these channels have been proposed, including a role for groundwater. In this study we explored the morphology formed by three types of groundwater systems, all three previous-ly hypothesized as possible Martian scenarios: 1) seep-age from a regional groundwater system [1], 2) seep-age from local precipitation [2] and 3) groundwater release from a pressurized aquifer (varying from sub- to super-lithostatic pressure) [3]. Here we present the results of analogue scale models which were focused on characteristic morphological elements, which we compare to Martian cases.