Remnant Massifs of Layered Deposits at High Northern Latitudes of Mars

Abstract

Ice deposits of the permanent northern polar cap of Mars exhibit a clearly expressed layered structure connected with consecutive accumulation of a solid phase of H₂O (ice) with different impurity fractions of dust. The observed structure of the northern polar cap deposits is direct evidence of the uneven accumulation of ice associated with climate variations on Mars over a long period of time. Outside the boundaries of the present northern polar cap, there are isolated remnant massifs of bright deposits with a clearly distinguishable layered structure. In this paper, we analyze the morphology, spatial distribution, and material composition of remnant massifs within the latitude belt of 60°–85°. The similarity in the structure and material composition found in the remnant massifs and the layered deposits of the northern polar cap of Mars apparently suggests that these formations were genetically connected in the past climatic epochs.