The document summarizes evidence of water on Mars from exploration and observations. Space probes have found evidence that Mars was once warmer and wetter, with features like valley networks and mineral hydration indicating liquid water. It was later colder and drier but still had some water activity. Presently, the only water reservoirs are the polar ice caps containing frozen water, and subsurface ice found near and below the surface.

1. Water on Mars. Past and present
Lecture 7
Tuesday, November 12 2013
Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

2. Outline
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•
Tuesday, November 12 2013
History of Mars exploration and relationship with water
• Why Mars and why water?
• Insight from space probes
• Water on Mars through time
Actual water reservoirs
• Today’s atmospheric conditions
• Polar ice caps
• Near subsurface ice
• Subsurface ice
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

3. Why Mars and why water?
Tuesday, November 12 2013
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

4. Why Mars and why water?
What are the current outstanding questions to
drive future exploration?
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•
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When and where did liquid water persist with a
sufficiently high activity to support life? Did life or
pre-biotic chemistry develop?
What drove a fundamental change, from the
Noachian to Hesperian periods, in the surface
environment recorded in aqueous deposits?
How did Mars' internal evolution influence the
surface environment?
©NASA
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5. Insight from space probes
Percival Lowell
(≈1900)
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6. Insight from space probes
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7. Insight from space probes
Viking
(1975)
Mariner
(1965-1971)
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

8. Insight from space probes
Viking
(1975)
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

9. Insight from space probes
Mars Express
2003
Mars Global Surveyor
1996
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
2005
Mars Odyssey
2001
Global mapping with many observation techniques
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

10. Insight from space probes
MGS
TES - 1996
MO
GRS - 2001
Gamma spectroscopy
MO
THEMIS - 2001
MRO
SHARAD - 2005
MEx
MARSIS - 2003
Radar
MGS
MOC - 1996
Thermal infrared
MEx
HRSC - 2003
MEx
OMEGA - 2003
MRO
CTX & HiRISE - 2005
MRO
CRISM - 2005
Visible optical imagery
Visible – Near Infrared spectroscopy
Tuesday, November 12 2013
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

11. Insight from space probes
Gamma spectroscopy
Thermal infrared
Radar
Visible optical imagery
Visible – Near Infrared spectroscopy
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

12. Insight from space probes
MGS
MOC - 1996
MEx
HRSC - 2003
MRO
CTX & HiRISE - 2005
MGS
MOLA - 1996
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

13. Water on Mars through time
Evidence of water from:
• Morphology
• Mineralogy
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

14. Water on Mars through time
Evidence of water from:
• Morphology
• Mineralogy
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

15. Water on Mars through time
THEMIS IR Mosaic in the Warrego Valles area
Valley networks
HIRISE image Small Valley Networks in the Ancient
Southern Highlands (ESP_012519_1320)
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16. Water on Mars through time
Lake deltas and fans
High rate of erosion for the
craters in the southern
hemisphere
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17. Water on Mars through time
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

18. Water on Mars through time
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

19. Water on Mars through time
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

20. Water on Mars through time
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21. Water on Mars through time
Minerals that need water
to be produced
Local detections: Clays in Nili Fossae region
Large scale detections: Clays in Mawrth Vallis
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22. Water on Mars through time
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23. Water on Mars through time
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•
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24. Water on Mars through time
MOLA in the Kasei Valles area
Outflow channels
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25. Water on Mars through time
Resurfacing of North planes
and rampart craters
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26. Water on Mars through time
Terra Meridiani (Opportunity)
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Interior Layered Deposits (ILD) in Valles Marineris (HRSC)
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27. Water on Mars through time
Sulfates in ILD
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Sulfate over clays in Colombus crater
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28. Water on Mars through time
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•
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29. Water on Mars through time
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30. Water on Mars through time
Layered deposits on the North polar cap
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31. Water on Mars through time
Gullies
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32. Water on Mars through time
gullies
viscous flow
Low-latitude
gullies
Brine with ferric
sulfate
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

33. Outline
•
•
Tuesday, November 12 2013
History of Mars exploration and relationship with water
• Why Mars and why water?
• Insight from space probes
• Water on Mars through time
Actual water reservoirs
• Today’s atmospheric conditions
• Polar ice caps
• Near subsurface ice
• Subsurface ice
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

34. Today’s atmospheric conditions
Atmospheric pressure
560 Pa
Temperatures
-133°C / 27°C
Atmosphere
95.3% CO2
No liquid water at surface conditions
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

35. Polar ice caps
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36. Polar ice caps
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37. Polar ice caps
South Polar Ice Cap: 1.6 x 106 km3, which is equivalent to a global
water layer of approximately 11 meters thick
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

38. Near subsurface ice
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

39. Near subsurface ice
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40. Near subsurface ice
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41. Subsurface ice
Found in few place under the surface (depths 1 to 3 km)
Represent 1% of the total water volume contained in the polar
caps, equivalent to a global water layer 20 cm thick.
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL

42. Summary
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Tuesday, November 12 2013
Evidence for liquid water during Mars history
• Noachian warm and wet
• Valley networks
• Craters erosion
• Deltas and fans
• Hydrated minerals
• Hesperian colder and dryer but water still present
• Outflow channels
• Rampart craters
• Sulfates and layered deposits
• Amazonian to present
• Almost no water activity except at high latitudes and in polar caps
Actual water reservoirs
• Polar ice caps
• Near subsurface ice
• Subsurface ice
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Dr Harold Clenet, EPSL, EPFL