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Cited by 222Planetary Science and ExplorationAstro and Planetary ScienceGeology and Paleoclimatology Research

Comparison of “warm and wet” and “cold and icy” scenarios for early Mars in a 3‐D climate model

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Wordsworth, Robin D., Kerber, Laura, Pierrehumbert, Raymond T., Forget, Francois, Head, James W.·2015·Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
DOI 10.1002/2015je004787
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Abstract

We use a 3‐D general circulation model to compare the primitive Martian hydrological cycle in “warm and wet” and “cold and icy” scenarios. In the warm and wet scenario, an anomalously high solar flux or intense greenhouse warming artificially added to the climate model are required to maintain warm conditions and an ice‐free northern ocean. Precipitation shows strong surface variations, with high rates around Hellas basin and west of Tharsis but low rates around Margaritifer Sinus (where the observed valley network drainage density is nonetheless high). In the cold and icy scenario, snow migration is a function of both obliquity and surface pressure, and limited episodic melting is possible through combinations of seasonal, volcanic, and impact forcing. At surface pressures above those required to avoid atmospheric collapse (∼0.5 bar) and moderate to high obliquity, snow is transported to the equatorial highland regions where the concentration of valley networks is highest. Snow accumulation in the Aeolis quadrangle is high, indicating an ice‐free northern ocean is not required to supply water to Gale crater. At lower surface pressures and obliquities, both H 2 O and CO 2 are trapped as ice at the poles and the equatorial regions become extremely dry. The valley network distribution is positively correlated with snow accumulation produced by the cold and icy simulation at 41.8 ∘ obliquity but uncorrelated with precipitation produced by the warm and wet simulation. Because our simulations make specific predictions for precipitation patterns under different climate scenarios, they motivate future targeted geological studies.

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  • The presence of Tharsis caused a dynamical effect on the circulation that led to low rainfall rates in Margaritifer Sinus, where some of the most well-developed valley networks on Mars are found.

    “In particular, the presence of Tharsis caused a dynamical effect on the circulation that led to low rainfall rates in Margaritifer Sinus, where some of the most well-developed valley networks on Mars are found.”

    From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2015

  • Wordsworth et al. (2015) found that the precipitation patterns in the warm and wet case were not a close match to the valley network distribution.

    “In general, Wordsworth et al. (2015) found that the precipitation patterns in the warm and wet case were not a close match to the valley network distribution.”

    From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2015

  • Preliminary GCM studies using the model described in Wordsworth et al. (2015) suggest that precipitation in the warm and dry scenario is indeed limited or non-existent in valley network source regions.

    “Preliminary GCM studies using the model described in Wordsworth et al. (2015) suggest that this is indeed the case.”

    From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Wordsworth et al. 2015

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Authors
Wordsworth, R. D., Kerber, L., Pierrehumbert, R. T., Forget, F., & Head, J. W.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (FR)
  • Department of Geological Sciences Brown University Providence Rhode Island USA
Corresponding author
Wordsworth, Robin D.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Published
2015-06
Volume
120
Issue
6
Pages
1201-1219
ISSN
  • 2169-9097 (ISSN-L)
  • 2169-9100
DOI
10.1002/2015je004787
OpenAlex
W1875794043
Cited by
222
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 5
FWCI
13.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 25 d)
Locations
  • Journal of Geophysical Research Planets (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
FAS Division of Science, Research Computing Group
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Keywords
early Mars climate, precipitation patterns, valley networks, obliquity, surface pressure, global warming, Gale Crater, Hellas basin, Tharsis, CO2 ice, water ice, atmospheric collapse

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