Dike Emplacement, Ice Melt and Hydrothermal Processes on Mars
نویسنده
چکیده
In analogy with hydrothermal processes on Earth’s seafloor, Martian hydrothermal systems may provide a mechanism for transporting water, chemicals, and energy to the surface. We model magmatic dike driven hydrothermal systems in which we consider changes to the surrounding permeability resulting from the emplacement of the dike (Craft, 2010) and calculate water fluxes to the surface. When compared to formation requirements for the outflow channel Athabasca Valles, Mars, the fluxes are found inadequate to form the channel directly; although, if hydrothermal fluid collects in a subsurface reservoir and later releases episodically, the required volume of water can be supplied by 2 or more dikes emplaced into crust with a dike-induced permeability of ~10 m. A layer of ice overlying the system could also melt through and contribute to the hydrothermal fluid flow, however, ice melt volumes calculated are too low to contribute significantly for the dike sizes considered. Further work through Summer 2011 will investigate the effect of internally pressurizing the dike and the resulting changes in stress field and permeability in order to provide an even greater understanding of the effect of dike emplacement on hydrothermal processes and surface morphology formation.
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