Analogs for Planetary Exploration
Periglacial landscapes on Svalbard: Terrestrial analogs for cold-climate landforms on Mars
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Published:December 01, 2011
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CiteCitation
E. Hauber, D. Reiss, M. Ulrich, F. Preusker, F. Trauthan, M. Zanetti, H. Hiesinger, R. Jaumann, L. Johansson, A. Johnsson, M. Olvmo, E. Carlsson, H.A.B. Johansson, S. McDaniel, 2011. "Periglacial landscapes on Svalbard: Terrestrial analogs for cold-climate landforms on Mars", Analogs for Planetary Exploration, W. Brent Garry, Jacob E. Bleacher
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We present landforms on Svalbard (Norway) as terrestrial analogs for possible Martian periglacial surface features. While there are closer climatic analogs for Mars, e.g., the Antarctic Dry Valleys, Svalbard has unique advantages that make it a very useful study area. Svalbard is easily accessible and offers a periglacial landscape where many different landforms can be encountered in close spatial proximity. These landforms include thermal contraction cracks, slope stripes, rock glaciers, protalus ramparts, and pingos, all of which have close morphological analogs on Mars. The combination of remote-sensing data, in particular images and digital elevation models, with field work is a promising approach in analog studies and facilitates acquisition of first-hand experience with permafrost environments. Based on the morphological ambiguity of certain landforms such as pingos, we recommend that Martian cold-climate landforms should not be investigated in isolation, but as part of a landscape system in a geological context.
- aerial photography
- Arctic region
- climate
- digital terrain models
- geomorphology
- glacial geology
- glaciers
- High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
- High Resolution Stereo Camera
- HiRISE
- ice wedges
- imagery
- landforms
- landscapes
- Mars
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- morphometry
- patterned ground
- periglacial environment
- periglacial features
- permafrost
- pingos
- planets
- polar regions
- polygons
- remote sensing
- rock glaciers
- surface features
- Svalbard
- terrestrial analogs
- terrestrial planets
- thermokarst