Data Driven Simulation of Martian River-Valley Evolution and its Relation to the Paleoclimate

Network surface patterns on Mars indicate evidence of intricate ancient river valley systems. The analysis of planetary fluvial branching geometry has shown major success in relating surface geological data to climatic conditions. It has long been debated whether these systems were driven by groundwater or near-surface flow. As the network erodes over time, expanding into the landscape, it keeps a record of the water flow that formed it. In this project, we utilize a new data-driven simulation technique developed by Żukowski et al. in 2022 to analyze Martian river-valley network data. This algorithm takes in the surface pattern data and solves Fick's law of diffusion to evolve the network backwards in time order to calculate a growth exponent. This characteristic growth value indicates the degree to which neighboring tributaries can communicate; a value greater than one indicates a humid climate, while less than one indicates an arid climate. Our preliminary analysis of a Martian river valley network suggests it formed in an arid climate. Our current analysis includes more Martian valley networks across different latitudes and geologic time frames, helping further refine our understanding of the Martian paleoclimate. This study explores new possibilities for how we can connect surface branching networks to planetary evolution, as it is the first application of this technique to extraterrestrial fluvial systems.