Description
Dynamic Mars: Recent and Current Landscape Evolution of the Red Planet presents the latest observations, interpretations, and explanations of geological change at the surface or near-surface of this terrestrial body. These changes raise questions about a decades-old paradigm, formed largely in the aftermath of very coarse Mariner-mission imagery in the 1960s, suggesting that much of the interesting geological activity on Mars occurred deep in its past, eons ago. The book includes discussions of (1) Mars' ever-changing atmosphere and the impact of this on the planet's surface and near-surface; (2) the possible involvement of water in relatively new, if not contemporary, gully-like flows and slope streaks (i.e. recurring slope lineae); and (3) the identification of a broad suite of agents and processes (i.e. glacial, periglacial, aeolian, meteorological, volcanic, and meteoric) that are actively revising surface and near-surface landscapes, landforms, and features on a local, regional, and hemispheric scale.Highly illustrated and punctuated by data from the most recent Mars missions, Dynamic Mars is a valuable resource for all levels of research in the geological history of Mars, as well as of the three other terrestrial planets.- Utilizes observational and model-based data as well as geological context to frame the understanding of the dynamic surface and near-surface of Mars- Presents a broad spectrum of highly regarded experts and themes to discuss and evaluate the geological history of late and current Mars- Includes extensive and detailed imagery to clearly illustrate these themes, discussions, and evaluations
Table of Contents
Late Amazonian Epoch climate1. Orbital (climatic) forcing and its imprint on the global landscapeRecent surface water at/near the mid-latitudes?2. Unraveling the mysteries of recurring slope lineae (RSL)3. Gullies and their connection with the climate4. Recent fluvial-channels, -landforms and fresh shallow-valleys in the Olympus Mons lava plainsThe Polar Regions5. Active geomorphological processes involving exotic agents6. CO2-driven geomorphological processesGlacial and periglacial landscapes7. Paleo-periglacial and "ice-rich complexes in Utopia Planitia8. Bi-hemispheric (periglacial) mass wastingVolcanism9. Volcanic disruption of recent ice-deposits in the Argyre BasinAeolian processes10. Dust devils: stirring up the surface11. Dark Dunes of Mars: An orbit-to-ground multidisciplinary perspective of aeolian scienceOther surface-modification processes12. Modification of the surface by impact cratering13. Stone pavements, lag deposits, and contemporary landscape-evolution14. Karst landforms as markers of recent climate change: en example from the late Amazonian Epoch evaporite karst within a trough in western Noctis Labyrinthus
