Geomorphologic Analysis of Drainage Networks on Mars

Altogether 327 valleys and their 314 cross-sectional profiles were analyzed on Mars, including width, depth, length, eroded volume, drainage and spatial density, as well as the network structure. According to this systematic analysis, five possible drainage network types were identified such as (a) small valleys, (b) integrated small valleys, (c) individual, medium-sized valleys, (d) unconfined, anastomosing outflow valleys, and (e) confined outflow valleys. Measuring their various morphometric parameters, these five networks differ from each other in terms of parameters of the eroded volume, drainage density and depth values. This classification is more detailed than those described in the literature previously and correlated to several numerical parameters for the first time. These different types were probably formed during different periods of the evolution of Mars, and sprung from differently localized water sources, and they could be correlated to similar fluvial network types from the Earth.