Schirmacher Oasis, Antarctica: An Earth Analog for Glaciofluvial Landforms and Process on Early Mars?

 

Past studies of Martian-analogue landscapes in Antarctica have focused on the Dry Valleys [e.g., 1-3] with the goal of understanding the drivers and potential evolution of geomorphic features in predominantly “cold and dry” conditions. Here we present a new study of a Martian analogue-landscape from the seldom studied Schirmacher Oasis (SO, 70°45′30″S 11°38′40″E) which contains landlocked lakes, polygonal patterns attributed to seasonal thermal contraction and ice wedging, in addition to chloride surface deposits, and even desiccation features associated with the seasonal and long-term drying of the land-locked lakes [e.g, 4, 5]. The features of SO have been observed on Mars, including in terrains that have been dated to Early Mars (The Noachian Period, more than 3.6 Gya).

 We investigated a number of land locked lakes using drone surveys, onsite characterization, and sample collection (Figure. 1). Preliminary results indicate that Schirmacher Oasis indeed provides a potential analogy for specific terrain on Mars, namely those associated with chloride deposits in lacustrine setting. Specifically, we propose that at least a subset of these terrains on Mars may have experienced a similar evolutionary history to that observed in SO; a fluvial, lacustrine and periglacial activity in a previously glaciated area. Studying such regions could help provide new insights into the geological and climatic evolution of Mars, particularly on regional scale, and in periods of transient warming under prevalent cold/icy conditions.

Figure 1: [Top] Geomorphological map of SO adapted from [6]. The legend has been slightly modified to highlight only a few selected units that are of relevance to this study. [Bottom] Satellite view of SO from Google Earth showing the sites visited and sampled in this study.

Acknowledgments: This work was carried out under an MOU between the Indian National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Emirates Polar Program (EPP). The scope of work and collected materials were approved under the research permit MoES/CAG-EP/2025/45-ISEAlP1/23 from the Indian Government’s Ministry of Earth Sciences in full compliance with the Antarctic Treaty. We are deeply indebted to the support throughout from NCPOR under the guidance of Dr. Thamban Meloth, including all logistical support before travel and “on the ground” by the NCPOR team and Goa and at Maitri Station.

References: [1] Marchant, D. R., & Head, J. W. (2007). Icarus, 192(1), 187–222. [2] Tamppari LK, et al. (2012). Antarctic Science. 2012;24(3):211-228.  [3] Heldmann, J. L. et al. (2013). Planetary and Space Science 85, 53-58. [4] Phartiyal, B., et al. (2011). Quaternary International 235,  128–136. [5] Dharwadkar, A., et al. (2018). Polar Science 18, 57–62. [7] Geological Survey of India (2006). Retrieved from: https://ncpor.res.in/files/40 Antarctic Exp/Schirmacher Oasis map.pdf.