Recognition Criteria of Spring Deposits on Mars at All Scales: Evidence from the Dalhousie Springs Analog (australia)

Introduction: Potential martian spring deposits are of considerable interest [1, 2] as indicators of water and the nature of the subsurface environment and as possible sites for preserved evidence of microbial communities. They are therefore attractive targets for exploration with Rovers, sample return missions [3], and eventually crewed exploration. The Dalhousie Springs Complex (DSC) in central Australia is arguably one of Earth’s largest groundwater discharge features, and is part of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). The discharge points are marked by spring mounds of precipitated and trapped sediment. The hydrology, geomorphology, and deposits of the DSC therefore hold considerable significance as potential Mars analogues [4, 5, 6]. Recognition of spring deposits: Deposits at the DSC have a suite of distinctive characteristics evident at a range of scales that allows their recognition. These characteristics are found in all large scale spring deposits of the GAB [7] and but are also found elsewhere [8, 9] suggesting that they may have wider applicability. These are organized below from largest to smallest scale features [10]: