Modifications of Martian ice-saturated regolith due to meteoroid impact

The possibility of water ice in the Martian subsurface regolith continues to present an intriguing enigma. We submit that any exo-martian source of energy, i.e. meteorite, asteroid or cometary impact, must disturb the equilibrium within the regolith surrounding an impact site. We farther propose impactors with the size range of 100 m and larger with velocities of 10 km s(-1) are effective in causing significant temperature increases in the regolith and subsequent ice melting. We present our studies of the crater formation within Martian surface layers that presumably are a solid mixture of regolith and water ice. Mass ratio of rocks to ice, as well as the thermal gradient in the crust, are the parameters. We have completed numerical simulations of a cratering event by means of two-dimensional, axialsymmetric hydrocodes involving a free particles' method in order to provide a simulation of an impact cratering. A fraction of subsurface ice melts and the crater partially forms from mud-like material. Comparison of a calculated crater and observed Martian crater is presented. The simplified analytical estimates concerning melting of ground ice in the regolith surrounding a Martian impact crater are presented. (C) 1999 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.