A CASE FOR ANCIENT EVAPORITE BASINS ON MARS

Observations indicate that a Martian analog to the Earth's salt pans a nd saline lakes of arid regions may have existed in crater-basins duri ng Mars' early (Noachian) epoch. Terraced and channelized crater-basin s point to pending of surface water as well as possible prolonged and evolving base levels. In addition, supportive (evaporite basin) analog s are offered for three other morphologic features of Martian crater-b asins. An evaporite basin model for crater-basins on Mars has major im plications for the mechanical, chemical, and even biological processes that potentially have operated in Mars' past, and represent a spectru m of potential mineral resources.