Active Boulder Falls in Terra Sirenum, Mars: Constraints on Timing and Causes

Peter M. Grindrod; Joel M. Davis; Susan J. Conway; Tjalling de Haas

doi:10.1029/2021GL094817

Active Boulder Falls in Terra Sirenum, Mars: Constraints on Timing and Causes

Peter M. Grindrod^*, Joel M. Davis, Susan J. Conway, Tjalling de Haas

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We use time series images to identify significant active boulder falls in an impact crater on Mars. Evidence for active boulder falls include boulder trails with impact marks from bouncing and rolling, and dark patches from boulder impacts away from the base of the crater walls. We were able to define three time periods with active boulder falls and additional slope streak formation, for which we refined the most significant activity to a time period between January 2012 and March 2013. A search of 236 images within 500 km of the study site identified two further sites with similar, but reduced, activity during the same time period. We discuss plausible mechanisms for the boulder fall activity, and conclude that the local geology and crater age is likely to be of significant importance. Our method of identifying and highlighting such activity will allow further studies of active surface processes on Mars.

Original language	English
Article number	e2021GL094817
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	48
Issue number	20
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094817
Publication status	Published - 28 Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI-INAF agreement no. 2020-17-HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments.

Funding Information:
Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI‐INAF agreement no. 2020‐17‐HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Funding

Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI-INAF agreement no. 2020-17-HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments. Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI‐INAF agreement no. 2020‐17‐HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments.

Keywords

active
boulder fall
Mars

Access to Document

10.1029/2021GL094817

Geophysical Research Letters - 2021 - Grindrod - Active Boulder Falls in Terra Sirenum Mars Constraints on Timing andFinal published version, 2.72 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

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title = "Active Boulder Falls in Terra Sirenum, Mars: Constraints on Timing and Causes",

abstract = "We use time series images to identify significant active boulder falls in an impact crater on Mars. Evidence for active boulder falls include boulder trails with impact marks from bouncing and rolling, and dark patches from boulder impacts away from the base of the crater walls. We were able to define three time periods with active boulder falls and additional slope streak formation, for which we refined the most significant activity to a time period between January 2012 and March 2013. A search of 236 images within 500 km of the study site identified two further sites with similar, but reduced, activity during the same time period. We discuss plausible mechanisms for the boulder fall activity, and conclude that the local geology and crater age is likely to be of significant importance. Our method of identifying and highlighting such activity will allow further studies of active surface processes on Mars.",

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author = "Grindrod, {Peter M.} and Davis, {Joel M.} and Conway, {Susan J.} and {de Haas}, Tjalling",

note = "Funding Information: Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI-INAF agreement no. 2020-17-HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments. Funding Information: Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI‐INAF agreement no. 2020‐17‐HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.",

year = "2021",

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N1 - Funding Information: Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI-INAF agreement no. 2020-17-HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments. Funding Information: Peter M. Grindrod and Joel M. Davis acknowledge support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R002355/1, ST/V002678/1). Susan J. Conway acknowledges support from CNES. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA's PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) via the ASI‐INAF agreement no. 2020‐17‐HH.0, the INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operations support from Charlotte Marriner, funded by the UK Space Agency (grants ST/R003025/1, ST/V002295/1) is also recognized. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, and editor Andrew Dombard, for insightful comments. Publisher Copyright: © 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

PY - 2021/10/28

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Active Boulder Falls in Terra Sirenum, Mars: Constraints on Timing and Causes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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