14 October 2005 GSA Release No. 05-37 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mars' Climate in Flux: Mid-Latitude Glaciers New high-resolution
images of mid-latitude Mars are revealing glacier-formed
landscapes far from the Martian poles, says a leading Mars
researcher. Conspicuous trains of debris in valleys, arcs of
debris on steep slopes and other features far from the polar ice
caps bear striking similarities to glacial landscapes of Earth,
says Brown University's James Head III. When combined with the
latest climate models and orbital calculation for Mars, the
geological features make a compelling case for Mars having
ongoing climate shifts that allow ice to leave the poles and
accumulate at lower latitudes. "The exciting thing is a real
convergence of these things," said Head, who will present the
latest Mars climate discoveries on Sunday, 16 October, at the
Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Salt Lake
City (specific time and location provided below). "For decades
people have been saying that deposits