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Search for shallow subsurface structures in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae on Mars
  • +6
  • Aina Oura,
  • Yasumasa Kasaba,
  • Rina Noguchi,
  • Atsushi Kumamoto,
  • Ken Ishiyama,
  • Tomohiro Usui,
  • Fuminori Tsuchiya,
  • Chihiro Uemura,
  • Tomoki Kimura
Aina Oura
Tohoku University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Yasumasa Kasaba
Tohoku University
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Rina Noguchi
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Atsushi Kumamoto
Tohoku University
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Ken Ishiyama
National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College
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Tomohiro Usui
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Fuminori Tsuchiya
Tohoku University
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Chihiro Uemura
SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
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Tomoki Kimura
Tohoku University
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Abstract

We surveyed the subsurface structure of Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae using data from the Mars SHAllow RADar sounder (SHARAD) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Several subsurface reflectors were identified in these regions, but these reflectors do not constitute apparent subsurface structures larger than 30 km. The bulk dielectric constants of the uppermost layers at two locations were estimated as 5.3 and 5.9 from the combination of high-resolution images and topographic data. These values were used to constrain the possible bulk porosity (approximately 28 % and 25 %) and the upper limit for the volume fraction of water ice (~43 % and ~50 %). The estimated porosities of the shallow subsurface layers in these locations can be explained by the emplacement of basaltic rock or till that may contain some ice-cemented regolith.
Jul 2022Published in Icarus volume 380 on pages 114991. 10.1016/j.icarus.2022.114991