Glaciares de Marte
ISSN: 1132-9157
Year of publication: 2005
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: 322-328
Type: Article
More publications in: Enseñanza de las ciencias de la tierra: Revista de la Asociación Española para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra
Abstract
Mars has two small but outstanding polar glacier sheets, and also abundant traces of present and past mid-latitude glaciers. Many of these could be related to volcanic constructs through volatile species emitted in eruptions. The analysis of Martian moraines suggest also the possibility of chaotic overturns of the rotational axis. Insolation could then take minimum values alternately on high and low latitudes. If this hypothesis is confirmed, we would be lead to think that Martian and Earth glaciations originate through quite different mechanisms. Even then, the present rapid deglaciation on both planets permits an interesting parallel.