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Space/Science » in reply to re: Just one look at this map should show Mars was once a very wet world

re: Just one look at this map should show Mars was once a very wet world

http://www.planetary.brown.edu/planetary/documents/2396.pdf

Bradley J. Thomson and James W. Head III “Utopia Basin, Mars: Characterization of topography and morphology and assessment of the origin and evolution of basin internal structure” JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 106, NO. 0, PAGES 1–22, 2001

“The lack of associated glacial flow features such as drumlins in the northern plains seems inconsistent with widespread glacial activity. Drumlins are streamlined mounds of glacial till that have elongated teardrop shapes in plan view [Benn and Evans, 1998]. The absence of drumlins does not rule out a glacial explanation, for a glacial body in the northern hemisphere may have been cold-based for much of its evolution
[e.g., Kargel et al., 1995]. However, the lack of drumlins highlights
the general lack of features related to mass ice movement and scour
in the interior of the Northern Plains. In addition, because ice
experiences a drop in plasticity with decreasing temperature [Glen,
1955; Goldsby et al., 2001], the current temperature regime on Mars
would tend to inhibit glacial flow. This does not exclude the possibility of glacial activity at periods of high obliquity or more
temperate paleoclimatic conditions but highlights the need for a
greater understanding of ice deformation mechanisms [Goldsby et
al., 2001] under possible Martian paleoclimates before the viability
of a glacial explanation can be verified.”

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