<p><strong>Introduction:</strong&g... more <p><strong>Introduction:</strong>  Mars’ surface is carved by an array of dendritic valley networks, which are evidence for ancient water cycles and surface run-off on Mars. The majority of these networks appear to have formed during the Late Noachian – Early Hesperian (3.8 to 3.6 Ga) and resemble terrestrial precipitation-fed systems. After this period, other than localised valleys present on the flanks of several volcanoes, valley network formation appears to have rapidly decreased, indicating that Mars’ climate experienced a sudden change from a warm and wet state to hyper aridity. However, a recent analysis of Amazonian – Hesperian aged flat crater-bottom deposits and alluvial fans indicates that localised areas of wettest persisted after the Early Hesperian. By analysing the morphological, morphometric, and paleohydraulic characteristics, and formation timescales of valley networks of different ages, one can gain a better understanding of the evolution of Mars’ aridity.</p><p>In this study, we aim to perform a detailed analysis of valley networks of differing ages to determine their formation origin and the duration of aqueous activity required to incise their troughs. At present we have performed formation timescale analysis on an Amazonian-Hesperian aged valley network – the results are presented below.</p><p><strong>Data and Methods:</strong> A combination of GIS software packages were used to perform the analysis: SAGA GIS was used to determine full water depth estimates and flow width via the multiply flow direction method; GRASS GIS was used to determine flow accumulation, flow direction, and upstream slope; ArcGIS Pro was used to perform spatially variable drainage area calculations for Hack’s Law and Flint’s Law calculations. Valley networks were initially identified using the Hynek et al. (2010) valley map, and narrowed to different surface ages based on the Tanaka et al. (2014) surface age map. Detailed mapping and morphological analyses of these valleys was performed using Context Camera images (5 m per pixel). High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) DEMs were used for paleohydraulic and formation timescale analysis. For the formation timescale calculation, the estimated volume (km<sup>3</sup>) of each pixel was divided by the volumetric transport rate (km<sup>3</sup>/yr).</p><p><strong>Initial Results:</strong> At present, we have applied the technique to a valley network located north-east of Lowell Crater (49.82 °S 77.16 °W). The source is within a Middle Noachian highland unit, with the majority of the network incising an Amazonian-Hesperian aged impact unit. The valley network has a main valley length of ~123 km, an almost linear profile, and an average slope (dz/dl) of ~ 0.012. Based on a calculated average water velocity of 6.8 m/s and an average 12.25 m water depth, the average formation time for the whole study area is 23235.3 yr (1 sigma standard deviation = 39401.2 yr).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>It is apparent the examined young valley is immature compared to previously examined Late Noachian – Early Hesperian Martian valley networks, which have minimum formation timescales ranging from 10<sup>5</sup> to 10<sup>7</sup> years. Applying formation timescale and paleohydraulic calculations to valley networks from a range of ages, we will be able to better understand the evolution of fluvial activity that formed them.</p>
<p><strong>1. Introduction</strong></p> <p>The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMar... more <p><strong>1. Introduction</strong></p> <p>The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2022 Mission [1] will deliver the Rosalind Franklin Rover and Kazachock Surface Platform to the Oxia Planum landing site on Mars [2, 3]. The launch window opens on 20 September 2022 with a corresponding Mars arrival on 10 June 2023. The Rover&#8217;s mission objectives are to search for signs of life and characterise the shallow subsurface. During its 211 sol nominal mission &#8216;Rosalind Franklin&#8217; will accomplish its objectives using its &#8216;Pasteur&#8217; Payload of 9 instruments, plus a drilling system capable of extracting samples from down to 2m for analysis.</p> <p><strong>2. Mission Status</strong></p> <p>Tests and reviews to confirm overall spacecraft readiness are proceeding, including a campaign of High Altitude Drop Tests (HADTs) on the parachute system. Activities at the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) &#8212;located at ALTEC, Turin (IT)&#8212; are ramping up. Software systems used during the mission for planning are being tested and refined, and the Control and Science Teams are working together to train for the day-to-day operations environment.</p> <p><strong>3. Spacecraft Control</strong></p> <p>The ROCC can be considered an Activity Plan factory for the Rosalind Franklin rover. The ROCC is designed to support ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) during the launch, LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase), when conducting periodic checkouts of the rover and instruments in interplanetary cruise, and to perform rover mission operations on Mars. A partner facility in Moscow, the Surface Platform Payload Operations Control Centre (SPOCC), controls the Kazachok Surface Platform.</p> <p>The Science Team and the rover Control Team work together at the ROCC (including by remote connection) to conduct two parallel and connected processes. The <em>Strategic </em>process, performed during office hours, is the top-level process to plan rover activities. It proceeds via daily structured work and meetings. Strategic planning aims to achieve the rover mission objectives and maximize scientific return, and it is dynamic; adjusting to new scientific findings and interpretations. Strategic planning is done on 3 timescales: short term (next sol), medium term (within the current mission phase), and long-term (the next major mission phase plus objectives that could be addressed further in the future).</p> <p>The <em>Tactical</em> process is the sequence of events triggered by the downlink of rover data to ROCC following an orbiter pass.&#160; It ends with uplink of validated activity plans to the rover for execution. Tactical planning is done on a schedule synchronised with downlink and uplink via Mars orbiters.</p> <p><img src="data:image/png;base64,…
Abstract The surface of Mars displays many landform assemblages associated with liquid flows. Mar... more Abstract The surface of Mars displays many landform assemblages associated with liquid flows. Martian outflow channels are one such feature. These long sinuous incisions containing streamlined islands can be thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide, with depths reaching 2.5 km. These forms were certainly carved by enormous flows of liquid. Similar long, sinuous incisions occur also on Venus and must have been incised by lava. However, the Martian outflow channels resemble channels on Earth formed by catastrophic glacial meltwater discharges. Moreover, the cross-sectional geometry of Martian outflow channels is more closely aligned with the morphological properties of large rivers on Earth than with lava channels on Venus, Mercury, or Earth’s moon. Contextually, however, the availability of enough water to produce sufficiently large discharges on Mars has been fundamentally queried, while there is evidence that Martian lava flows occurred nearly globally and continually until very recently. Moreover, because the rheology of Martian lavas could have allowed them to flow turbulently, and over greater distances than on Earth, many scientists believe that the Martian outflow channels were lava incised. However, although Mars is at present very dry, its surface displays many ancient landscapes confidently believed to reflect the action of flowing water. Significantly, many outflow channel heads occur in chaotic terrain, thought to be produced by ground disturbance resulting from the release of large quantities of groundwater. This is supported by the presence of hydrated minerals, which required the sustained presence of liquid water to form, in many chaotic terrains and within outflow channels. This chapter, therefore, considers the hypothesis that incision of the Martian outflow channels involved extremely high magnitude discharges of water.
&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Introduction:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;g... more &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Introduction:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160; Mars&amp;amp;#8217; surface is carved by an array of dendritic valley networks, which are evidence for ancient water cycles and surface run-off on Mars. The majority of these networks appear to have formed during the Late Noachian &amp;amp;#8211; Early Hesperian (3.8 to 3.6 Ga) and resemble terrestrial precipitation-fed systems. After this period, other than localised valleys present on the flanks of several volcanoes, valley network formation appears to have rapidly decreased, indicating that Mars&amp;amp;#8217; climate experienced a sudden change from a warm and wet state to hyper aridity. However, a recent analysis of Amazonian &amp;amp;#8211; Hesperian aged flat crater-bottom deposits and alluvial fans indicates that localised areas of wettest persisted after the Early Hesperian. By analysing the morphological, morphometric, and paleohydraulic characteristics, and formation timescales of valley networks of different ages, one can gain a better understanding of the evolution of Mars&amp;amp;#8217; aridity.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In this study, we aim to perform a detailed analysis of valley networks of differing ages to determine their formation origin and the duration of aqueous activity required to incise their troughs. At present we have performed formation timescale analysis on an Amazonian-Hesperian aged valley network &amp;amp;#8211; the results are presented below.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Data and Methods:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; A combination of GIS software packages were used to perform the analysis: SAGA GIS was used to determine full water depth estimates and flow width via the multiply flow direction method; GRASS GIS was used to determine flow accumulation, flow direction, and upstream slope; ArcGIS Pro was used to perform spatially variable drainage area calculations for Hack&amp;amp;#8217;s Law and Flint&amp;amp;#8217;s Law calculations. Valley networks were initially identified using the Hynek et al. (2010) valley map, and narrowed to different surface ages based on the Tanaka et al. (2014) surface age map. Detailed mapping and morphological analyses of these valleys was performed using Context Camera images (5 m per pixel). High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) DEMs were used for paleohydraulic and formation timescale analysis. For the formation timescale calculation, the estimated volume (km&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;3&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;) of each pixel was divided by the volumetric transport rate (km&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;3&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;/yr).&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Initial Results:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; At present, we have applied the technique to a valley network located north-east of Lowell Crater (49.82 &amp;amp;#176;S 77.16 &amp;amp;#176;W). The source is within a Middle Noachian highland unit, with the majority of the network incising an Amazonian-Hesperian aged impact unit. The valley network has a main valley length of ~123 km, an almost linear profile, and an average slope (dz/dl) of ~ 0.012. Based on a calculated average water velocity of 6.8 m/s and an average 12.25 m water depth, the average formation time for the whole study area is 23235.3 yr (1 sigma standard deviation = 39401.2 yr).&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Discussion: &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;It is apparent the examined young valley is immature compared to previously examined Late Noachian &amp;amp;#8211; Early Hesperian Martian valley networks, which have minimum formation timescales ranging from 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;5&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;7&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; years. Applying formation timescale and paleohydraulic calculations to valley networks from a range of ages, we will be able to better understand the evolution of fluvial activity that formed them.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;
<p><strong>1. Introduction</strong></p> <p>The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMar... more <p><strong>1. Introduction</strong></p> <p>The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2022 Mission [1] will deliver the Rosalind Franklin Rover and Kazachock Surface Platform to the Oxia Planum landing site on Mars [2, 3]. The launch window opens on 20 September 2022 with a corresponding Mars arrival on 10 June 2023. The Rover&#8217;s mission objectives are to search for signs of life and characterise the shallow subsurface. During its 211 sol nominal mission &#8216;Rosalind Franklin&#8217; will accomplish its objectives using its &#8216;Pasteur&#8217; Payload of 9 instruments, plus a drilling system capable of extracting samples from down to 2m for analysis.</p> <p><strong>2. Mission Status</strong></p> <p>Tests and reviews to confirm overall spacecraft readiness are proceeding, including a campaign of High Altitude Drop Tests (HADTs) on the parachute system. Activities at the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) &#8212;located at ALTEC, Turin (IT)&#8212; are ramping up. Software systems used during the mission for planning are being tested and refined, and the Control and Science Teams are working together to train for the day-to-day operations environment.</p> <p><strong>3. Spacecraft Control</strong></p> <p>The ROCC can be considered an Activity Plan factory for the Rosalind Franklin rover. The ROCC is designed to support ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) during the launch, LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase), when conducting periodic checkouts of the rover and instruments in interplanetary cruise, and to perform rover mission operations on Mars. A partner facility in Moscow, the Surface Platform Payload Operations Control Centre (SPOCC), controls the Kazachok Surface Platform.</p> <p>The Science Team and the rover Control Team work together at the ROCC (including by remote connection) to conduct two parallel and connected processes. The <em>Strategic </em>process, performed during office hours, is the top-level process to plan rover activities. It proceeds via daily structured work and meetings. Strategic planning aims to achieve the rover mission objectives and maximize scientific return, and it is dynamic; adjusting to new scientific findings and interpretations. Strategic planning is done on 3 timescales: short term (next sol), medium term (within the current mission phase), and long-term (the next major mission phase plus objectives that could be addressed further in the future).</p> <p>The <em>Tactical</em> process is the sequence of events triggered by the downlink of rover data to ROCC following an orbiter pass.&#160; It ends with uplink of validated activity plans to the rover for execution. Tactical planning is done on a schedule synchronised with downlink and uplink via Mars orbiters.</p> <p><img src="data:image/png;base64,…
Abstract The surface of Mars displays many landform assemblages associated with liquid flows. Mar... more Abstract The surface of Mars displays many landform assemblages associated with liquid flows. Martian outflow channels are one such feature. These long sinuous incisions containing streamlined islands can be thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide, with depths reaching 2.5 km. These forms were certainly carved by enormous flows of liquid. Similar long, sinuous incisions occur also on Venus and must have been incised by lava. However, the Martian outflow channels resemble channels on Earth formed by catastrophic glacial meltwater discharges. Moreover, the cross-sectional geometry of Martian outflow channels is more closely aligned with the morphological properties of large rivers on Earth than with lava channels on Venus, Mercury, or Earth’s moon. Contextually, however, the availability of enough water to produce sufficiently large discharges on Mars has been fundamentally queried, while there is evidence that Martian lava flows occurred nearly globally and continually until very recently. Moreover, because the rheology of Martian lavas could have allowed them to flow turbulently, and over greater distances than on Earth, many scientists believe that the Martian outflow channels were lava incised. However, although Mars is at present very dry, its surface displays many ancient landscapes confidently believed to reflect the action of flowing water. Significantly, many outflow channel heads occur in chaotic terrain, thought to be produced by ground disturbance resulting from the release of large quantities of groundwater. This is supported by the presence of hydrated minerals, which required the sustained presence of liquid water to form, in many chaotic terrains and within outflow channels. This chapter, therefore, considers the hypothesis that incision of the Martian outflow channels involved extremely high magnitude discharges of water.
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