COMPILING THE EVIDENCE FOR AN ANCIENT MARTIAN OCEAN: THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TERRESTRIAL DEEP-WATER ANALOGS ON MARS

The controversial hypothesis of an ancient ocean on Mars has prompted researchers to explore lines of evidence that support this idea by connecting Martian features to potential terrestrial analogs, from large-scale polygonal terrains to massive boulders that may have been transported through underwater mass-transport events. Mapping the distribution of such features provides another avenue for exploring these potential indicators of a hypothetical ocean on Mars. Systemic mapping of features in the Northern Plains of Mars that have been linked to terrestrial deep-water analogs, in addition to other deposits and geomorphologic elements associated on Earth with oceans, has been pursued to establish their spatial distribution within the context of a hypothetically Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian ocean.

Furthermore, spatial statistical analysis of potential indicators of ocean conditions, such as elemental abundances and different types of impact craters (categorized by Boyce et al. 2005) whose geomorphologies may indicate water-related activity, was pursued to explore the degree of correlation and potential overlap of relevant features. Preliminary results, while statistically significant, yielded low adjusted R² values for correlations between potentially water-indicative elements and Type 3 impact craters, but future applications of these methods could reveal significant correlations that would contribute to the Martian oceans debate.