Discussion on seismically triggered avalanches on Mars after the s1222a
Marsquake
Abstract
Potential dust avalanches as aftermaths of the seismic event of S1222a
detected by the SEIS/InSight seismometer are investigated. Orbital
observations emphasize that the area around the estimated location shows
rather flat topography with North-South ridge structures. Thermal
inertia data attests that the surface is essentially composed of
granular materials, including dust. Thus, only a few locations show
steep slopes with fragile soil. We investigated the orbital archive and
requested targeted locations to assess the avalanche rate in the area
and the influence of the M$_{W}^{Ma}$ 4.7, S1222a event. We
find an increase in the avalanche rates when thermal inertia is low. We
investigate the best location that could explain these avalanche rates
from the aftermath ground deformation and discuss the implications in
regards to the regional geology.