Martian Oceans: Old Debate

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Martian Oceans: Old Debate - New Insights

D. Z. Oehler / C. C. Allen

The possibility of an ancient ocean in the northern lowlands of Mars has been discussed for decades (1-14), but the subject remains controversial (15-20). Among the many unique features of the northern lowlands is the extensive development of 'giant polygons' - polygonal landforms that range from 1 to 20 km across. The kilometer-scale size of these features distinguishes them from a variety of smaller polygons (usually < 250 m) on Mars that have been compared to terrestrial analogs such as ice-wedge and desiccation features. However, until recently, geologists were aware of no examples of polygons on Earth comparable in scale to the giant polygons of Mars, so there were no good analogs from which to draw interpretations. That picture has changed with 3D seismic data acquired by the petroleum industry in exploration of offshore basins. The new data reveal kilometer-scale polygonal features in more than 50 offshore basins on Earth. These features provide a credible analog for the giant polygons of Mars.