In a recent study, published in the journal Icarus, researchers have revealed that the wave-like landforms on Mars may reveal information about the planet's icy past, whether life could exist there, and how granular materials flow.
Mars may be more like Earth than previously thought, despite having a thinner atmosphere and a dry, dusty surface.
In the latest study, researchers from the University of Rochester, including assistant professor Rachel Glade from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and PhD student JohnPaul Sleiman, discovered that some of the soil features on Mars closely resemble the wave-like soil patterns found in the coldest parts of Earth.
New Insights About Granular Material Behavior
This implies that similar physical forces and icy environmental processes may have shaped both planets in spite of their differences. The study offers fresh insights into the physics of granular material behavior, the kinds of environments that may have once supported life, and the climate history of Mars.
The scientists examined high-resolution satellite photos of nine Martian crater sites and contrasted them with analogous sites on Earth. They found that the geometric patterns and shapes of solifluction lobes, which are found in cold, mountainous areas of Earth like the Arctic and the Rocky Mountains, closely resemble the wave-like landforms on Mars.
Glade said that these patterns "are large, slow-moving, granular examples of common patterns found in everyday fluids, like paint dripping down a wall."
What is the Biggest Difference?
"The Martian versions are about, on average, 2.6 times taller," she added.
The researchers demonstrated that this height difference is exactly what would be predicted if the lobes were able to grow taller before collapsing due to the physical characteristics of the soil and Mars' weaker gravity. Solifluction lobes are created on Earth when the ground partially thaws after freezing, allowing soil to gradually move downward.
Although sublimation—the process by which ice transforms straight into a vapor—rather than liquid water-based thawing, Mars most likely underwent freeze-thaw cycles similar to those on Earth.
The study raised questions about the evolution of Mars' climate, the possible role of water, and where to search for evidence of past life by speculating that the planet may have once had icy conditions that shaped its surface similarly to Earth.
Sleiman said, "Understanding how these patterns form offers valuable insight into Mars' climate history, especially the potential for past freezing and thawing cycles, though more work is needed to tell if these features formed recently or long ago."
"Ultimately, this research could help us identify signs of past or present environments on other planets that may support or limit potential life," he added.
