Discovery of recurring slope lineae candidates in Mawrth Vallis, Mars
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Springer Nature
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2019-02-14Referencia bibliográfica
Bhardwaj, A., Sam, L., Martín-Torres, F. J., & Zorzano, M. P. (2019). Discovery of recurring slope lineae candidates in Mawrth Vallis, Mars. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9.
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We acknowledge the Wallenberg Foundation and the Kempe Foundation for supporting the research activities.Resumen
Several interpretations of recurring slope lineae (RSL) have related RSL to the potential presence
of transient liquid water on Mars. Such probable signs of liquid water have implications for Mars
exploration in terms of rover safety, planetary protection during rover operations, and the current
habitability of the planet. Mawrth Vallis has always been a prime target to be considered for Mars rover
missions due to its rich mineralogy. Most recently, Mawrth Vallis was one of the two final candidates
selected by the European Space Agency as a landing site for the ExoMars 2020 mission. Therefore, all
surface features and landforms in Mawrth Vallis that may be of special interest in terms of scientific
goals, rover safety, and operations must be scrutinised to better assess it for future Mars missions. Here,
we report on the initial detection of RSL candidates in two craters of Mawrth Vallis. The new sightings
were made outside of established RSL regions and further prompt the inclusion of a new geographical
region within the RSL candidate group. Our inferences on the RSL candidates are based on several
morphological and geophysical evidences and analogies: (i) the dimensions of the RSL candidates are
consistent with confirmed mid-latitude RSL; (ii) albedo and thermal inertia values are comparable to
those of other mid-latitude RSL sites; and (iii) features are found in a summer season image and on the
steep and warmest slopes. These results denote the plausible presence of transient liquid brines close
to the previously proposed landing ellipse of the ExoMars rover, rendering this site particularly relevant
to the search of life. Further investigations of Mawrth Vallis carried out at higher spatial and temporal
resolutions are needed to identify more of such features at local scales to maximize the scientific return
from the future Mars rovers, to prevent probable biological contamination during rover operations, to
evade damage to rover components as brines can be highly corrosive, and to quantify the ability of the
regolith at mid-latitudes to capture atmospheric water which is relevant for in-situ-resource utilization.