Organizing Committee

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

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?

Tentative Workshop Schedule

Check-in for workshop participants will begin at 4:00 PM on Sunday, October 19 and will be followed by a welcome Cowboy Cookout at 6:00 PM.
The workshop will begin at 8:30 AM Monday, October 20, and run through 4:30 PM, Thursday, October 23, with the optional field trip on Friday, October 24.

	Sunday, October 19, 2008		Opening Reception –PM
	Monday, October 20, 2008		Terrestrial Analogs –AM DEM Analyses –PM
	Tuesday, October 21, 2008		Image Analyses –AM Climate Models –PM Conference Banquet
	Wednesday, October 22, 2008		Field trip to Canyonlands National Park
	Thursday, October 23, 2008		Sapping versus Runoff –AM Future Directions –PM
	Friday, October 24, 2008		Optional Field trip to Other Sapping Features

Workshop Venue and Accommodations

The workshop will take place at the Red Cliffs Lodge, Moab Utah www.redcliffslodge.com.

The Red Cliffs Lodge has reserved a small block of rooms for the workshop with a daily rate of $70 per night (plus sales tax) for single occupancy and $20 per additional person per night. To make your reservations at this special rate, please call Red Cliff Lodge at 866-812-2002 and ask for a room under the Mars Workshop. Rooms must be booked no later than September 18, 2008. Rooms must be cancelled 30 days before reservation to avoid cancellation fees.
It is important to note that participants are required to book their own reservations.

Registration

Workshop fee is $800. This fee includes
• The Cowboy Cookout on Sunday
• Breakfast and lunch each day of the workshop
• Field trip costs associated with the Wednesday trip to Canyonlands National Park, including a box lunch.

To register, please submit a Registration Form (PDF).
Registration runs from May 1, 2008 until October 10, 2008.

Cancellation and refund requests must be submitted in writing or via e-mail by September 19, 2008.

Contact:
Jean DeStefano
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum
P.O. Box 37012
Room 3352, MRC 310
Washington, DC 20013-7012
Email: nasmworkshop@si.edu

There is a $25 processing fee for all cancellations. No refunds will be granted after September 19, 2008.

Field Trips

There will be two field trips during the workshop.

The first field trip will take place on Wednesday October 22 and will focus on the sapping canyons accessible in Canyonlands National Park. In addition to seeing many classic sapping canyons from lookouts within the park we will also hike into several canyon headwalls, including those located along the Neck Spring Trail (6.8 mile/10.9 km hike). Additional, shorter hikes may also be possible depending on the time and weather conditions. The cost of this field trip is covered in the basic registration fee and all participants are encouraged to attend.

The second field trip is optional and will take place on Friday October 24. During this trip we will visit the Henry Mountain area, which will include several short hikes on badlands, inverted channels and additional sapping headwalls. Because of the travel distances, this trip is slightly longer and is optional. An additional fee is required to attend.

Spouses and family are welcome to attend either field trip. However, the trips are probably not suited for pre-teens or younger children given the hikes and travel times.

Student Travel Grants

The NASA Mars Program Office has announced that travel funding will be made available for a limited number of students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, with Mars-related interests, to attend the Second Workshop on Mars Valley Networks, October 19-24, 2008 in Moab, Utah. An application must be submitted by August 18, 2008, to be considered for this funding. NASA Headquarters will make the selections and students will be notified no later than September 19, 2008.

Reimbursable costs include transportation (airfare, mileage to/from airport, parking, rental car) and lodging/per diem. In most cases, actual expenses will exceed the funding provided.

Note: Students who are depending on travel assistance should not make travel arrangements until they have been notified that they have received an award. If you are requesting funds to travel to the meeting from outside the U.S., you should also wait to register until you have successfully completed NASA's foreign travel approval process. Failure to comply with this requirement may prohibit reimbursement.

Travel costs up to $1300.00 will be reimbursed according to JPL/government-specified allowances. The current GSA Domestic Per Diem Rates for Moab, Utah are $70 for lodging and $39 for meals and incidental expenses. These rates are good until September 30, 2008. Additional information and updated per diem rates for Fiscal Year 2009 may be found at www.gsa.gov.

Eligibility:

- Students must be U.S. citizens or legal residents.
- Students must be enrolled at a university at the time of the workshop or the semester immediately following the workshop (if during break).

Students who want to apply for this assistance must submit the Student Travel Funding Application Form by August 18, 2008 to charles.j.budney@jpl.nasa.gov

Interested students with questions are encouraged to contact Charles Budney (Mars Program Office, charles.j.budney@jpl.nasa.gov or 818-354-3981).

Presentations

All presentations will be made electronically. Participants will have fifteen minutes per presentation followed by five minutes of questions and answers. Both a Mac and a PC will be available for anyone not bringing their own laptop computers.

Airports and Directions

The two closest airports to Moab, Utah include Grand Junction, Colorado (~85 miles/136 km away) and Salt Lake City, Utah (~ 245 miles/390 km away). Directions to the Red Cliffs Lodge are available here: http://redcliffslodge.com/about-the-inn/directions.htm#grandJunction.