Grid mapping the northern plains of Mars: A new overview of recent water‐ and ice‐related landforms in Acidalia Planitia

We studied water and ice-related landforms in the Acidalia Planitia, Mars. We used a new approach, a grid system of 20 × 20-km cells, along a 300-km-wide strip (east-west) from latitude 20°N to 84°N (south-north). This work is a joint effort to study three major basins in the northern plains: Acidalia, Utopia, and Arcadia Planitiae. We conducted a regional mapping of specific landforms at 6 m/pixel resolution data and compared the results to different data products, such as geological maps, topography, radar, and climatic models. We proved that latitude-dependent mantle occurs from 44°N to 78°N in Acidalia Planitia and has an air fall origin related to past climatic cycles. These deposits are composed of mixture of fine-grained ice and dust. The distribution of this landform extends further south in Utopia and Arcadia Planitae suggesting different past/present climatic conditions in the northern lowlands