Sediment layers may help shed light on Mars' climate history

Washington, May 6 (ANI): A new stratigraphic record of Martian polar layered deposits could help provide new insights into Mars' climate history, believe scientists.

Stratigraphic layers can give scientists important clues about the conditions at the time the layer of rock formed.

Fishbaugh et al. present the first high-resolution stratigraphic column of Marian north polar layered deposits.

In the study, boffins used a digital elevation model (a representation of topography) derived from images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment to identify and classify layers in the 400-meter (1,312-feet) stratigraphic column, including several clearly defined "marker bed" layers.

The authors also observed that layers get thinner with depth.

Furthermore, they find no immediately obvious cyclic pattern in the stratigraphic layers that could correspond to cyclic climatic conditions, indicating that the relationship between Mars's polar stratigraphy and cyclic climate forcing is complex and needs further investigation. (ANI)