IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v397y1999i6716d10.1038_16649.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The generation of martian floods by the melting of ground ice above dykes

Author

Listed:
  • Dan McKenzie

    (Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge)

  • Francis Nimmo

    (Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge)

Abstract

The surface of Mars is cut by long linear faults with displacements of metres to kilometres, most of which are thought to have been formed by extension1. The surface has also been modified by enormous floods, probably of water, which often flowed out of valleys formed by the largest of these faults2. By analogy with structures on Earth3,4, we propose here that the faults are in fact the surface expression of dykes5, and not of large-scale tectonic movements. We use a numerical model to show that the intrusion of large dykes can generate structures like Valles Marineris. Such dykes can provide a heat source to melt ground ice, and so provide a source of water for the floods that have been inferred to originate in some of the large valleys2.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan McKenzie & Francis Nimmo, 1999. "The generation of martian floods by the melting of ground ice above dykes," Nature, Nature, vol. 397(6716), pages 231-233, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:397:y:1999:i:6716:d:10.1038_16649
    DOI: 10.1038/16649
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/16649
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/16649?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:397:y:1999:i:6716:d:10.1038_16649. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.