Global Distribution of Stratified Deposits on Mars

Abstract

This study uses the highest available resolution imagery of the Martian surface obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) to create a global inventory of stratified deposits on Mars. Deposits are categorized as sedimentary or volcanic based on a set of distinguishing orbital outcrop parameters including albedo, weathering style, layer thickness, and proximity to known volcanic source regions. Deposits are also classified according to geomorphic setting. This study shows that stratified deposits are ubiquitous on Mars, suggesting that a record of surface processes potentially spanning four billion years is preserved. This global inventory will aid in understanding the occurrence and diversity of sedimentary depositional processes through time and across the surface of Mars.