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Radar sounding of subsurface water-ice in eastern Coprates and Capri Chasmata, Mars
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  • Rina Noguchi,
  • Ken Ishiyama,
  • Atsushi Kumamoto,
  • Chihiro Uemura,
  • Yasumasa Kasaba,
  • Tomohiro Usui,
  • Aina Oura,
  • Daigo Shoji
Rina Noguchi
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Ken Ishiyama
National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College
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Atsushi Kumamoto
Tohoku University
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Chihiro Uemura
SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
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Yasumasa Kasaba
Tohoku University
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Tomohiro Usui
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Aina Oura
Tohoku University
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Daigo Shoji
Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology
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Abstract

We surveyed the subsurface structure in eastern Coprates and Capri Chasmata in the equatorial region using high-resolution visible images, digital terrain models, and radar sounding data. We identified subsurface reflectors in four areas of the chasmata. At the stratigraphic exposure on the chasmata walls, the corresponding depth of the reflector is ~60 m. The bulk dielectric constants of the layers above the reflectors are calculated as 3.4-4.0, suggesting a rock-air mixture with ~46.1% porosity, or a rock-air-ice mixture with ~21.2% water-ice fraction. Recent climate models suggest that water-ice is unstable on the surface around the equatorial regions. However, considering the recent high obliquity that occurred ~0.4 Ma and a slow diffusivity of water-ice, the existence of subsurface water-ice deeper than a few meters cannot be ruled out. If water-ice is actually contained in the layer, our results show the maximum volume of putative water-ice in the chasmata is 16.6 km.