Deciphering Martian Flood Infiltration Processes at Hebrus Valles: Insights from Laboratory Experiments and Remote Sensing Observations

Dataset from a study submited to JGR-Planets about a laboratory-scale simulation of Martian outflow channel floods propagating over shallow cave systems. This repository contains all source data for the publication. This work is a joint effort of an International Team sponsored by CNES and PNP-INSU.

Deciphering Martian Flood Infiltration Processes at Hebrus Valles: Insights from Laboratory Experiments and Remote Sensing Observations

F. Costard¹, J.A.P. Rodriguez², E. Godin³, A. Séjourné¹ and J. S. Kargel²

¹ Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, GEOPS, 91405, Orsay, France

² Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719

³ Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.]  

Introduction

To investigate whether the landscapes in terminal Hebrus Valles were formed due to infiltration, we conducted a series of experiments simulating a cavernous underground system with an over-flooding scenario. 

Main results

• Hebrus Valles Mars, shows fluvially dissected sinkholes, suggesting that enormous conduits served as megaflood subsurface evacuation routes.
• We conducted a series of flume experiments to simulate infiltration patterns through sinkholes similar to those observed along Hebrus Valles
•   Our scenario involves the presence of discontinuities in the Martian subsurface, due to subsurface drainage, forming organized conduits.

Description of the components of the Zenodo archive

Fig. 1 to Fig. 10.

Vector-based components mapped in Figure 1 

Data underlying the plots in Figure 7

Figure S1: Listing of HRSC and MRO images used in the study.

Figures S2 to S4: time lapse of sink hole formation with unfrozen saturated sand. Image every 2 min. 

Figures S5 to S6: time lapse of sink hole formation with frozen saturated sand. Image every 2 min. 

Figures S7: formation of ice slabs for the experiment.

Table 1