Use of spacecraft data to derive regions on Mars where liquid water would be stable

摘要

Combining Viking pressure and temperature data with Mars Or- bital Laser Altimeter topography data, we have computed the fraction of the martian year during which pressure and tempera- ture allow for liquid water to be stable on the martian surface. We find that liquid water would be stable within the Hellas and Argyre basin and over the northern lowlands equatorward of about 40°. The location with the maximum period of stable conditions for liquid water is in the southeastern portion of Utopia Planitia, where 34/100 of the year liquid water would be stable if it were present. Locations of stability appear to correlate with the distri- bution of valley networks.