Initial insights from 2.5D hydraulic modeling of floods in Athabasca Valles, Mars

Geophysical Research Letters
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Abstract

We present the first application of a 2.5D hydraulic model to catastrophic floods on Mars. This model simulates flow over complex topography and incorporates flood dynamics that could not be modeled in the earlier 1D models. We apply this model to Athabasca Valles, the youngest outflow channel on Mars, investigating previous bank-full discharge estimates and utilizing the interpolated Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter elevation map as input. We confirm that the bank-full assumption does not fit the observed landforms. Instead, the channel appears more deeply incised near the source. Flow modeling also identifies several areas of special interest, including a dry cataract that coincides with a region of predicted high erosion. However, artifacts in the elevation data strongly impacted estimated stages and velocities in other areas. More extensive connection between the flood hydraulics and observed landforms awaits improved topographic data.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Initial insights from 2.5D hydraulic modeling of floods in Athabasca Valles, Mars
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/2007GL031776
Volume 34
Issue 21
Year Published 2007
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) Astrogeology Science Center
Description 5 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Geophysical Research Letters
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