Circumpolar ocean stability on Mars 3 Gy ago
Frédéric Schmidt, Michael J. Way, François Costard, Sylvain Bouley, Antoine Séjourné, Igor Aleinov
Abstract
Significance The current Martian climate is not habitable and far from Earth’s climate. At the same time that life spread on Earth (3 Gy ago), the Red Planet was possibly more similar to our Blue Planet. Our model includes a coupled model with dynamic ocean and atmosphere including a hydrological cycle and a simplified glacier mass flux scheme. We show that an ocean is stable in agreement with interpretations of the surface geological records.
Topics & Concepts
GeologyMars Exploration ProgramMartianHesperianNoachianClimatologyCryosphereFluvialClimate modelIce sheetAtmosphere (unit)Lead (geology)MeltwaterSnowClimate changeGlacierArctic ice packShoreAntarctic sea iceGlacial periodErosionClimate stateCold climateThermohaline circulationOceanographyPlateau (mathematics)ArcticAtmospheric circulationPaleoclimatologyThermokarstPlanetary Science and ExplorationSpace Science and Extraterrestrial LifeEarth Systems and Cosmic Evolution