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A WAIS Analog Found on Mars Polar Cap

A WAIS Analog Found on Mars Polar Cap. Weili Wang 1 , Jun Li 1 and Jay Zwally 2. 1. Raytheon ITSS, NASA/GSFC, Code 971, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. 2. Ocean and Ice Branch, NASA/GSFC, Code 971, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. X 5 km. Meter. X 5 km. X 5 km. X 5 km. Meter. North Polar Cap.

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A WAIS Analog Found on Mars Polar Cap

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  1. A WAIS Analog Found on Mars Polar Cap Weili Wang1, Jun Li1 and Jay Zwally2 1. Raytheon ITSS, NASA/GSFC, Code 971, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. 2. Ocean and Ice Branch, NASA/GSFC, Code 971, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.

  2. X 5 km Meter X 5 km X 5 km X 5 km Meter North Polar Cap (Surface topography) Mars (Maximum thickness: ~ 3000 m at the dome) South Polar Cap (Surface topography)

  3. Distance ( x5 km) Chasma Boreale (meter) Distance (x5 km) North Polar Cap on Mars Surface topography and flowlines

  4. Mars Polar Cap A B Inland Ice Ice Stream Ice Shelf Grounding Line WAIS Theoretical (Vialov type) ice-sheet profile B A Chasma Boreale 300 km

  5. Ice-Stream Onset (After Bindschadler et al, 2001, The West Antarctic ice sheet ) The location of the transition between inland ice flow (corresponding to a convex-up shape profile) and ice-streaming flow (corresponding to a concave-up shape profile ).

  6. Mars Polar Cap Surface elevation (m) Onset Onset Surface slope Driving stress (bar) WAIS Surface elevation (m) Surface slope Driving stress (bar)

  7. Model Run I (warm bed) Model Run II (cold bed) Inputs: Inputs: • Flowline geometry • Surface mass balance • Basal temperature • (at pressure melting point) • Basal geothermal heat flux • Flowline geometry • Surface temperature • Basal geothermal heat flux Outputs: Outputs: • Distribution of temperature • Distribution of velocity • Distribution of temperature • Distribution of velocity • Surface mass balance Ice-Sheet Modelling A flowline model is applied to examine the basal/surface conditions required for maintaining this ice-stream type surface profile.

  8. Ice-Sheet Modelling : Continuity Equation { { Basal Melting Rate Emergence Velocity Surface mass balance (accumulation rate + ablation/sublimation rate)

  9. Model Run I (warm bed) Temperature (m) oc Dynamic Velocity (Glen’s flow law) (m) m/a Horizontal Velocity (m) m/a Vertical Velocity (m) m/a Distance (km)

  10. Onset Model Run I (warm bed) Temperature -10 (m) -5 oc Dynamic Velocity (Glen’s flow law) (m) m/a Horizontal Velocity (m) m/a Vertical Velocity (m) m/a Distance (km)

  11. Model Run II (cold bed) Temperature (m) oc Horizontal Velocity (m) m/a Vertical Velocity (m) m/a Surface mass balance (m/a) Distance (km)

  12. Temperature (m) oc Horizontal Velocity (m) m/a Vertical Velocity (m) m/a (m/a) Surface Mass Balance Distance (km) Model Run II (cold bed) -80 -70

  13. Model Run II (cold bed) Basal Temperature G= 0.02 oC/m G=0.03 oC/m (oC) G= 0.01 oC/m Surface Temperature Surface Mass Balance Blue: x 10-4 Red: x 10-5 Green: x 10-6 (m/a) Distance (km)

  14. Summary: • The surface topography determined by MOLA data shows an ice-stream type profile through the head of Chasma Boreale. • “Onset” (the location of the transition between inland ice flow and ice-stream flow) is clearly detected. • Modelling study indicates that basal melting may have been experienced over the bed of Chasma Boreale at various times in Mars’ history.

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