Discovering Sedimentary Plains and Ancient Mud Lakes in Martian Chaos Fields

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(a) Hydraotes Chaos Map showing how widespread mud volcanoes (orange dots) and diapirs (white dots) are interpreted. Both types of features are produced by sedimentary volcanism – rather than magma sources and eruptions, wet sediments, and salts reach and penetrate the surface, forming mounds and flows. Interestingly, these mounds only occur in the chaotic terrain floor material and not on the mesa (red shaded area) on which they grow. This suggests a material composition relationship and not the regional origin of extensional forces generated by magmatic uplift. (b) shows a possible mud volcano. Note that the surrounding lobate deposits are highly eroded and removed (red arrows), consistent with flow placing them as fine-grained, volatile-rich material. Credit: NASA

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(a) Hydraotes Chaos Map showing how widespread mud volcanoes (orange dots) and diapirs (white dots) are interpreted. Both types of features are produced by sedimentary volcanism – rather than magma sources and eruptions, wet sediments, and salts reach and penetrate the surface, forming mounds and flows. Interestingly, these mounds only occur in the chaotic terrain floor material and not on the mesa (red shaded area) on which they grow. This suggests a material composition relationship and not the regional origin of extensional forces generated by magmatic uplift. (b) shows a possible mud volcano. Note that the surrounding lobate deposits are heavily eroded and removed (red arrows), consistent with flow placing them as fine-grained, volatile-rich material. Credit: NASA

An important discovery by a collaborative team led by Alexis Rodriguez of the Planetary Science Institute has revealed evidence of sedimentary plains created by aquifer drainage in Martian collapse formations called chaotic fields.

“Our research focuses on sedimentary units within the Hydraotes Chaos, which we interpret as the remains of mud lakes formed from the stratigraphic release of gas-charged mudstones dating from nearly 4 billion years ago, a time when the Martian surface was likely beneath the Martian surface . habitable,” said Rodriguez, lead author of the paper, “Exploring evidence of residual explosions of central Amazonian aquifer sediments in the chaotic terrain of Mars,” published in Scientific Reports.

“These sediments may hold evidence of life in that period or subsequent periods. It is important to remember that Mars’ subsurface may have had habitability that persisted throughout the history of life on Earth.”

PSI scientists Bryan Travis, Jeffrey S. Kargel and Daniel C. Berman are co-authors of the paper. Scientists from NASA Ames Research Center, University of Arizona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, and University of Florida also co-authored the project.

Extensive studies of Martian aquifer drainage have revealed vast flood channels stretching thousands of kilometers into the planet’s northern lowlands. Massive erosion caused by these channels, combined with subsurface sediment released from the aquifer, blanketed much of the northern lowlands. This complex landscape presents a formidable challenge for investigations of the nature of Martian aquifers.

View of Hydraotes Chaos (white line), including the location of the alleged mud lake (black arrow). Credit: NASA

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View of Hydraotes Chaos (white line), including the location of the alleged mud lake (black arrow). Credit: NASA

“Venturing into the northern plains for sampling can be dangerous, as differentiating between aquifer-sourced material and material eroded and transported during channel formation can be a complex task. The plain, located within the Hydraotes Chaos, offers a unique glimpse into ancient aquifer materials. “This plain, which we think was formed from mud that drained into the basin just above the source of the aquifer, provides a more targeted exploration opportunity,” Rodriguez said.

“Unlike large flood channels with complex erosion patterns, this finding simplifies examination of Martian aquifers, reduces the risk of sediment acquisition on land, and opens a new window into Mars’ geological past.”

“Our numerical model reveals an interesting story. The source of the lake’s aquifer most likely originates from phase segregation within the mudstone, forming a vast water-filled space, several kilometers wide and hundreds of meters deep. “This process was most likely triggered by disturbing igneous rock activity,” he explained. -said author Travis.

“In addition, the segmented subsidence observed throughout the chaotic terrain suggests the existence of a network of interconnected chambers, depicting giant caverns filled with stable water, some of which are several kilometers wide and long, much larger than other caves. caves on Earth that have ever been known.”

“Initially biomolecules could be spread throughout the volume of large cavities containing groundwater. “When water is released to the surface and pools, it is lost leaving behind sediment and potentially high concentrations of biomolecules,” Rodriguez said.

Therefore, the remnants of these ancient mud lakes could provide unprecedented access to biomolecule-rich aquifer materials that remained hidden beneath the Martian surface for most of its existence.

The lobate margin forms part of a constant elevation contact, which we interpret as the lake pool margin. We plan to land somewhere near here. Credit: NASA

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The lobate edge forms part of a constant elevation contact, which we interpret as the lake pool edge. We plan to land somewhere near here. Credit: NASA

“NASA Ames is considering the plateau as a possible landing site for a mission looking for evidence of biomarkers, particularly lipids. “These biomolecules are highly resistant and can survive billions of years on Mars,” co-author Mary Beth Wilhelm of NASA Ames Research Center said.

“In addition, the study area includes widespread mud volcanoes and possible diapirs, providing an additional window into subsurface, potentially habitable rocks. “A small rover at close range can sample mud lake sediments and these materials, thereby dramatically increasing the likelihood of biosignature detection,” said co-author Kargel.

“Our crater calculations show that the plateau is relatively new, 1 billion years old. This age is good news for the pursuit of life. This age is much younger than the age of most aquifer discharges on Mars, which date back to about 3.4 billion years ago. “So, this material spends a lot of time below the surface,” said Berman, one of the researchers.

Further information:
Rodriguez, JAP et al, Exploring evidence of residual explosion of Central Amazon aquifer sediments in the chaotic terrain of Mars, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39060-2

Journal information:
Scientific Reports

2023-10-18 17:28:26
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