Planetary-scale outflow channels were carved by catastrophic floods flowing into Mars’ northern lowlands, inspiring the hypothesis that they may have fed oceans. However, the sizes and durations of these catastrophic events remain highly debated.  To estimate flood discharge, previous studies have typically assumed that canyons were filled to the brim with water, ignoring the progressive deepening of gorges as floods carve into bedrock. As a result, discharges are grossly overestimated and estimated flood durations are unrealistically short. To improve upon previous estimates, we develop a new approach to estimating flood duration that is grounded in sediment-transport mechanics and bedform morphodynamics. First, we validate the approach at a well-documented terrestrial analog site—giant gravel ripples in the Channeled Scablands of Washington, USA. Second, we apply the new framework to a field of multi-meter dunes along the bed of Athabasca Valles, Mars. Our results provide an independent constraint on the duration of the floods that carved the Outflow Channels and bear significance to our understanding of the sources and lifetime of potential early oceans on Mars. 

Speaker-suggested reading: Durrant, L., Balme, M.R., Carling, P.A., and Grindrod, P.M., 2017, Aqueous dune-like bedforms in Athabasca Valles and neighbouring locations utilized in palaeoflood reconstruction: Planetary and Space Science, v. 148, p. 45–55, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2017.10.008.

Bio: I am a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, working with Prof. Mathieu Lapôtre. Broadly, my research interest lies in the geomorphology and evolution of planetary surfaces across the solar system (specifically planets with water, past or present!). My PhD research focuses on better understanding the climate and hydrology of early Mars through sediment transport physics, machine learning, and Earth analogues. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Astrophysics and a minor in Geology. My undergraduate research spanned dynamo production in rocky exoplanets, “lightning” flashes (caused by meteors) in the atmosphere of Venus, and martian spectroscopy and water ice deposits. In my free time, I am a competitive curler!