MODERN AND ANCIENT AEOLIAN BASINS ON EARTH AND MARS (Invited Presentation)

Planetary-scale boundary conditions (e.g., size, gravity, atmospheric density and structure, lithospheric structure) dictate the architecture of aeolian deposits by controlling sedimentary basin geometry, frequency, magnitude, and distribution of winds, and types of bedforms that can exist. Existing conceptual models of aeolian accumulation and preservation do not adequately capture the complexities of how boundary conditions vary across the solar system and control deposit architecture. The result of this is a simplistic or inadequate framework for understanding where deposits form and the architecture of aeolian deposits. Here, a case is made for evaluating world-specific boundary conditions for aeolian deposition and using now-available detailed remote sensing and climate model data to improve understanding of aeolian basins. Drawing from literature and new analyses done on Earth and Mars, distinct examples of how planetary-scale boundary conditions influence aeolian deposit architecture will be presented.