Guest Researcher | Spring 2018

Mapping Variability in the Medusae Fossae Formation

The Medusae Fossae Formation is an unusual region of Mars, stretching across a part of Mars about the size of the United States, that is characterized by fine-grained deposits and shaped by aeolian erosion. This project aims to characterize the material properties of the Medusae Fossae Formation, both by searching for evidence of fluvial erosion (in the form of alluvial fans), but also by measuring the depth to diameter ratios of craters both inside and outside the formation, as a proxy for material strength.