Abstract
Each martian pole is covered by ice cap. Each cag consists of a seasonal canopy of C02 which extends 50–65 latitudes during winter, and of a summer remnant cap that extends a few degrees across. The northern polar cap consists of water-ice and contains large amounts of dust. The southern polar cap upper layer is mainly CO2 and dust-free. Both martian polar caps are spiraled in appearance which may be the result of the Coriolis forces and of preferential frost removal. Layered deposits are observed at the poles. These deposits are up to 5 km thick, and they extend out to about 80° latitudes. They probably consist of ice cemented dust. The layered deposits are partly eroded, being transected by numerous curvilinear valleys and escarpments. Erosional processes that contribute to the formation of these valleys and escarpments, are probably related to the planet’s precession, obliquity, and eccentricity.
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© 1985 D. Reidel Publishing Company
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Masson, P.L. (1985). The Martian Polar Caps: A Review. In: Klinger, J., Benest, D., Dollfus, A., Smoluchowski, R. (eds) Ices in the Solar System. NATO ASI Series, vol 156. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5418-2_36
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5418-2_36
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