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Layered and massive outcrops on Mars, some as thick as 4 kilometers, display the geomorphic attributes and stratigraphic
relationsof sedimentary rock. Repeated beds in some locations imply a
dynamicdepositional environment during early martian history.
Subaerial(such as eolian, impact, and volcaniclastic) and subaqueous
processesmay have contributed to the formation of the layers. Affinityfor impact craters suggests dominance of lacustrine deposition;alternatively, the materials were deposited in a dry, subaerialsetting
in which atmospheric density, and variations thereof mimica subaqueous
depositional environment. The source regions andtransport paths for
the materials are not preserved.
Malin Space Science Systems, Post Office Box 910148, San Diego, CA
92191-0148, USA.
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To whom correspondence should be addressed.
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
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