Definition
Steep-sided depressions, which may occur in groups and may form characteristic patterns, in the south polar ice cap of Mars.
Description
Circular and elongate depressions and sags (Malin and Edgett 2001) showing flat floors and steeply sided walls, commonly with debris aprons. These depressions are superposed on water ice-rich materials, probably the upper surface of the polar-layered deposits of the southern permanent polar cap of Mars (Mangold 2011).
Subtypes
Morphological Subtypes of Depressions
- (1)
Moats or moatlike depressions of diverse shape around round depressions and mesas (Unit B) (Thomas 2003; Fig. 1).
- (2)
Fingerprint terrain: sets of linear depressions (troughs) (Unit A2) (Thomas et al. 2000; Thomas 2003) showing parallel and tuning-fork patterns (Fig. 2). They are restricted to limited areas; consistent trends in their orientation suggest structural control. These depressions are typically 60–120 m across (Thomas et al. 2009).
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References
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Hargitai, H. (2014). Residual South Polar Cap Features. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_411-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_411-1
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