Workshop Overview

This workshop is dedicated to reviewing our current knowledge of martian valley networks and their terrestrial analogs. For decades valley networks have been regarded as of the best evidence that ancient climatic conditions were capable of supporting liquid water at the surface of Mars. However, a variety of climate models have suggested that early Mars was always cold, forcing us to rethink how these features may have formed. Today the relative roles of groundwater sapping or surface runoff in creating these features remain unclear. Although much recent progress has been made in understanding the general ages of these features, spatial and temporal variations in valley network formation remains unclear. It is also generally difficult to apply traditional techniques for quantifying the characteristics of terrestrial stream channels to valley networks because so little information seems to be preserved. The workshop will be held in Moab, Utah, and the field trips will visit classic examples of theater-headed valleys in layered sedimentary rocks of the Colorado Plateau.

The goals of this workshop are to provide the scientific community with a clear summary of current research on Martian valley networks and to suggest future emphasis of exploration. The various topics that this workshop will address include:

• What was the climatic and hydrologic environment during valley network formation? What is the observational evidence for groundwater sapping versus surface runoff?
• What are the ages of the valley networks and how are they related to volcanism, the global heat flow, or current climatic models?
• What do high-resolution images tell us about the probably hydraulic characteristics of valley networks, such as discharge rates, flow depths, and the size and quantity of transported sediment?
• Can we extract accurate watershed information regarding the valley networks using digital elevation models given the subsequent modification of the surface topography from impact cratering and other processes?
• Did space-filling, small-order tributaries ever form, and if so, why are they not well-preserved?
• What progress has been made in producing a global map of these features to better understand the spatial and temporal variations of valley networks?
• What is our current understanding of terrestrial valleys that are good morphological analogs to Martian valley networks?
• How could future missions or data analysis techniques better address these questions?

View the 2008 Program
The 2008 conference program is available here.

Abstracts

Prolonged Late-Stage Valley Network Formation: Landform Simulations Of Parana Basin, Mars
C. J. Barnhart, A. D. Howard, and J. M. Moore

Geological Relationships Between Hydrated Minerals And Fluvial Landforms In Tyrrhena Terra
S. Bouley, D. Loizeau, N. Mangold, V. Ansan, F.Poulet, J.P Bibring, Y. Langevin and the Omega Team

Pervasive Aqueous Paleoflow Features In The Aeolis/Zephyria Plana Region, Mars
D.M. Burr, R. M. E. Williams, A.D. Howard, J.R. Zimbelman4, T. Brennand, M-.T. Enga, and K.D. Wendell

Gulley Formation In The Keanakako’i Tephra Deposit: Implications For Erosion On Mars
R.A. Craddock, A.D. Howard, P-S. Chu, R.P. Irwin, III, D. Swanson, S. Tooth, R.M.E. Williams, and J.R. Zimbelman

Global Distribution Of Putative Martian Deltas In The Light Of HRSC And HIRISE Instruments: Open Issues And Hydrological Inferences
G. Di Achille, G. G. Ori, B. Hynek, and E. Hauber

Mars Valley Networks: Chronology And Environments
C. I. Fassett, J.W. Head, and J.L. Dickson

Call For Testing The Theoretical Effects Of Climate On The Flow And Discharge Of Groundwater On Mars Through Laboratory Experiments
J.M. Goldspiel

Fluvial Valleys And Sedimentary Deposits In Xanthe Terra: Implications For The Ancient Climate On Mars
E. Hauber, K. Gwinner, M. Kleinhans, D. Reiss, G. Di Achille and, R. Jaumann

Roaming Zones Of Precipitation On Ancient Mars As Recorded In Valley Networks
M. R. T. Hoke and B. M. Hynek

Hydrology Of Early Mars
A. D. Howard, Y. Matsubara, C.J. Barnhart, J. M. Moore, R. P. Irwin, III, T. A. Maxwell and M. Higbie

Updated Global Map Of Martian Valley Networks: Implications For Hydrologic Processes
B.M. Hynek, M. Beach, and M.R.T. Hoke

Origin Of Theater-Headed Tributaries To Escalalante And Glen Canyons, Utah
R.P. Irwin III, C.M. Fortezzo, S.E. Tooth, A D. Howard, J.R. Zimbelman, C.J. Barnhart, A.J. Benthem, C.C. Brown, and R.A. Parsons

The Western Libya Montes Valley System On Mars: Evidence For Episodic And Multi-Genetic Erosion Events
R. Jaumann, A. Nass, D. Tirsch, and D. Reiss

Comparing Dissection Patterns Of Mars And Earth: Paleoclimate Implications
W. Luo and T. F. Stepinski

Comparison Of Mapped And Modeled Watersheds In The Tyrrhena Terra Region Of Mars
S.C. Mest and D.A. Crown

Timing Of Martian Valley Network Using Fine Scale Age Determination
C. Quantin and R. A. Craddock

Controls On Precipitation And Aridity For Ancient Mars
M. I. Richardson and A. Soto

Water at the Surface of Ancient Mars
A. Soto and M. I. Richardson

Computer Mapping Of Valley Networks On Mars: An Overview Of Methods And Challenges
T. F. Stepinski and W. Luo

Terrestrial Inverted Channels In Utah: Analogs For Investigation Of Martian Sinuous Ridges
R.M.E. Williams

Organizing Committee

Robert A. Craddock, Smithsonian Institution
David A. Crown, Planetary Science Institute
Alan D. Howard, University of Virginia
Rossman P. Irwin, III, Smithsonian Institution
Jeffrey Moore, NASA Ames Research Center

Field Trip Leaders

Alan D. Howard, University of Virginia
Rossman P. Irwin, III, Smithsonian Institution
Rebecca M.E. Williams, Planetary Science Institute

Special Thanks

Jean DeStefano, Smithsonian Institution
Charles Budney, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory