IF MARTIAN ICE CAPS FLOW - ABLATION MECHANISMS AND APPEARANCE

Assuming that the northern ice cap of Mars is thick enough to flow like terrestrial ice sheets, a model is presented that explains (i) the origins, movement, and spiral nature of the scarp/trough complexes, (ii) the reentrant valleys like Chasma Boreale, and (iii) the layered terrain. Accumulation and ablation are discussed in relation to the scarps and a model is developed relating them to ice flow and scarp velocities and to the particle paths within the ice cap. A brief summary of terrestrial ice sheet flow and mass balance is given in order to illustrate and clarify the concepts used to model the martian ice caps. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.