Reconstruccion hidrologica de un sistema valle-albanico en Coprates Catena, Marte

The water history on Mars is still a subject of debate; currently, water remains stable only as ice due to global extreme cold and low pressure. In Coprates Catena, there is a channel that flows into a tectonic depression, carrying materials that form a stepped fan-shaped structure. The objective of this work is to simulate the complete process of excavation of the channel and the formation of these sedimentary reliefs, as well as to determine whether the existence of a water sheet filling the aforementioned tectonic depression is compatible with the shape and dimensions of the fan. Under the hypothesis that this fan was formed in two distinct stages, we reproduce both phases here to analyze their conditions. Our numerical simulation uses a depth-integrated two-layer model that provides new information on sediment composition, interstitial water content, depth of the possible water sheet, and the potential for the preservation of biomarkers in the area. Our procedure provides new evidence for the existence of a long-lived sheet of water, shedding light on the potential for life on the red planet and its geological history.