Wind-snow interactions at the Ojos del Salado region as a potential Mars analogue site in the Altiplano - Atacama desert region

Kereszturi, Ákos and Aszalós, Júlia Margit and Heiling, Zsolt and Ignéczi, Ádám and Kapui, Zsuzsanna and Király, Csilla and Leél-Őssy, Szabolcs and Szalai, Zoltán and Nagy, Balázs (2022) Wind-snow interactions at the Ojos del Salado region as a potential Mars analogue site in the Altiplano - Atacama desert region. Icarus, 378. ISSN 0019-1035

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Abstract

The general characteristics and interactions happening at a unique, potential new Mars analogue site, located in the Altiplano and Atacama Desert region: the Ojos del Salado inactive volcano. The interaction between rare snowing events and strong winds transported large masses of porous volcanic grains there could produce decimeter - meter thick buried snow masses fast, shielded against sublimation for extended periods (years). Subsurface temperature logging suggests that water ice melting is rare and surface modification is dominated by desiccation of the cryosphere and wind activity – just like on Mars. The site contains decameter scale megaripples, which are unusual for Earth and also support the understanding of resemble features on Mars. The shallow subsurface analysis with Mars relevance is supported here by drilled cores of evaporitic sediments.

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