The Hydrology of Mars Including a Potential Cryosphere

Lasue, Jérémie; Clifford, Stephen M.; Conway, Susan J.; Mangold, Nicolas and Butcher, Frances E. G. (2018). The Hydrology of Mars Including a Potential Cryosphere. In: Filiberto, Justin and Schwenzer, Susanne P. eds. Volatiles in the Martian Crust. Elsevier, pp. 185–246.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804191-8.00007-6

Abstract

Water is one of the most common and important volatiles found throughout the Solar System, influencing both the geological evolution of planetary bodies and their potential habitability. The evidence for past and present water on Mars has been a main driver of its exploration. Ancient fluvial landforms indicate that Mars once had surficial conditions suitable for the presence of persistent liquid water on its surface. However, climate models of early Mars remain notably difficult to reconcile with these observations. The global inventory of water on Mars is critical to understanding how the planet's potential habitability has varied over time. In this chapter, we review these topics, including the inventory of water, its various reservoirs, and potential loss mechanisms, and discuss how the planet’s hydrosphere evolved with time.