Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The generation of martian floods by the melting of ground ice above dykes

Nature volume 397, pages 231–233 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

The surface of Mars is cut by long linear faults with displacements of metres to kilometres, most of which are thought to have been formed by extension1. The surface has also been modified by enormous floods, probably of water, which often flowed out of valleys formed by the largest of these faults2. By analogy with structures on Earth3,4, we propose here that the faults are in fact the surface expression of dykes5, and not of large-scale tectonic movements. We use a numerical model to show that the intrusion of large dykes can generate structures like Valles Marineris. Such dykes can provide a heat source to melt ground ice, and so provide a source of water for the floods that have been inferred to originate in some of the large valleys2.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: A comparison of graben swarms on Mars with dyke swarms on Earth.
Figure 2: A comparison of two regions of Mars and Earth, both dominated by convective plumes.
Figure 3: A numerical model of melting of ground ice by dyke intrusion.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Plescia, J. B. & Saunders, R. S. Tectonic history of the Tharsis Region, Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 87, 9775–9791 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Baker, V. R. The Channels of Mars(Univ. Texas Press, Austin, (1982)).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fahrig, W. F. in Mafic Dyke Swarms(eds Halls, H. C. & Fahrig, W. F.) 331–348 (Spec. Pap. 34, Geol. Assoc. Canada, St John's, Newfoundland, (1987)).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fahrig, W. F. & West, T. D. Diabase dyke swarms of the Canadian Shield. (Map 1627A, Geol. Surv. Canada, Ottawa, (1986)).

  5. Mège, D. & Masson, P. Aplume tectonics model for the Tharsis province, Mars. Planet. Space Sci. 44, 1499–1546 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Basaltic Volcanism Study Project Basaltic Volcanism on Terrestrial Planets (Pergamon, NewYork, (1983)).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ernst, R. E., Head, J. W., Parfitt, E. A., Grosfils, E. & Wilson, L. Giant radiating dyke swarms on Earth and Venus. Earth Sci. Rev. 39, 1–58 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sigurdsson, O. Surface deformation of the Krafla fissure swarm in two rifting events. J. Geophys. 47, 154–159 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  9. McKenzie, D., McKenzie, J. M. & Saunders, R. S. Dike emplacement on Venus and on Earth. J. Geophys. Res. 97, 15977–15990 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schultz, R. A. Displacement-length scaling for terrestrial and Martian faults: Implications for Valles Marineris and shallow planetary grabens. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 12009–12015 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. White, R. S. & McKenzie, D. Mantle plumes and flood basalts. J. Geophys. Res. 100, 17543–17585 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Schubert, G., Solomon, S. C., Turcotte, D. L., Drake, M. J. & Sleep, N. H. in Mars(eds Kieffer, H. H., Jakosky, B. M., Snyder, C. W. & Matthews, M. S.) 147–183 (Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson, (1992)).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Worst, B. G. The Great Dyke of Southern Rhodesia. S. Rhodesia Geol. Surv. Bull. 47, ((1960)).

  14. Zimbelman, J. R., Craddock, R. A., Greeley, R. & Kuzmin, R. O. Volatile history of Mangala Valles, Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 97, 18309–18317 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lucchita, B. K. et al. in Mars(eds Kieffer, H. H., Jakosky, B. M., Snyder, C. W. & Matthews, M. S.) 453–492 (Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson, (1992)).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Masursky, H., Boyce, J. M., Dial, A. L., Schaber, G. G. & Strobell, M. E. Classification and time of formation of Martian channels based on Viking data. J. Geophys. Res. 82, 4016–4038 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Squyres, S. W., Wilhelms, D. E. & Moosman, A. C. Large-scale volcano-ground ice interaction on Mars. Icarus 70, 385–408 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Squyres, S. W., Clifford, S. M., Kuzmin, R. O., Zimbelman, J. R. & Costard, F. M. in Mars(eds Kieffer, H. H., Jakosky, B. M., Snyder, C. W. & Matthews, M. S.) 523–556 (Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson, (1992)).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Borg, L. E., Nyquist, L. E., Taylor, L. A., Wiesmann, H. & Shih, C. -Y. Constraints on Martian differentiation processes from Rb-Sr & Sm-Nd isotopic analyses of the basaltic Shergottite QUE94201. Geochem. Cosmochim. Acta 61, 4915–4931 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Blichert-Toft, J. et al. Lu-Hf isotopic compositions of SNC meteorites: Implications of Martian mantle evolution. Mineral. Mag. A 62, 168–169 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Solomon, S. C. & Head, J. W. Heterogeneities in the thickness of the elastic lithosphere on Mars: Constraints on heat flow and internal dynamics. J. Geophys. Res. 95, 11073–11083 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Baker, V. R. et al. Ancient oceans, ice sheets and the hydrological cycle on Mars. Nature 352, 589–594 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Carr, M. H. et al. Martian impact craters and emplacement of ejecta by surface flow. J. Geophys. Res. 82, 4055–4065 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank J. McKenzie for his help, and the Royal Society, Magdalene College, Cambridge, and NERC for support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0EZ, UK

    Dan McKenzie & Francis Nimmo

Authors
  1. Dan McKenzie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francis Nimmo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francis Nimmo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McKenzie, D., Nimmo, F. The generation of martian floods by the melting of ground ice above dykes. Nature 397, 231–233 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/16649

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/16649

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing