Mars shows a variety of landscapes from the poles towards the equators which can be easily compared with terrestrial landscapes. The sequence of images in the range from the poles till equator is also similar to the sequence which is found on Planet Earth i.e. the fluviatile landscapes of the equatorial belts, the warm desertic region with mesas at about 30 degree(s) latitude, complex landscapes of the middle latitudinal belt, polygonal structured ground and pingo-like forms towards the poles and finally the polar ice caps. The features in all these areas are so similar in form and range of occurrence that it leaves no doubt that origin of the landscapes Mars could be very likely the same as on Planet Earth. This would also demonstrate that most of these landscape forms developed under the agis of water under different types of its possible occurrence: fluvial, permafrost, erosional, coastal, etc. besides the fact that it furthermore proves that the polar-caps are really built by snow, ice and glaciers. A series of erosional gullies on Mars furthermore offered sediment sequences which no doubt show a cyclic repetitive series of sedimentation layers. The latter cyclic sediment series is generally found with sequences in the earth deposits as well and have been suitable for computation. On earth they definitely show cycles of cold/drought periods interfering with warm/wet periods. This would infer that the climatic global changes may have existed on Mars as well.

Date Published: 30 December 1999
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 3755, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology II, (30 December 1999); doi: 10.1117/12.375071

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3755:
Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology II
Richard B. Hoover, Editor(s)