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re: North polar geysers?

This report to the 7th International Conference on Mars may give another example of the north polar geysers in Fig. 4:

BASAL SUBLIMATION OF THE SEASONAL CAPS AND SUB-ICE GAS FLOW: A MAJOR GEOMORPHOLOGICAL AGENT IN THE MARTIAN POLAR REGIONS.
Sylvain Piqueux and Philip R. Christensen, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Mars Space Flight Facility, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287, USA, ****@asu.edu.
Seventh International Conference on Mars 3069.pdf
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/7thmars2007/pdf/3069.pdf

In Fig. 5 of this report is also given an example of a formation that might be a north polar analogue of the "spiders" that had already been seen at the south pole.
In this report is also discussed polygonal terrain at the north pole. They attribute these polygons to CO2 gas release, as has been used to explain the geysers and the "spiders".
However, on Earth such polygonal terrain is due to freeze-thaw cycles in periglacial regions requiring liquid water in the thaw phase.
Then liquid water or brines at the poles on Mars, perhaps protected by a dust or ice cover, may be involved in the formation of the geysers and "spiders" as well.

Bob Clark

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