Recurring Slope Lineae: Confirmation of shallow subsurface flowing water on Mars

Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5 to 5 m) dark albedo features that incrementally lengthen down steep slopes and reoccur each year. RSL are well correlated with temperature, as they lengthen as temperature increases and fade as temperature decreases. RSL have been observed within a latitude band from 37°N to 52°S, but tend to cluster in the southern mid-latitudes (SML) in and around Valles Marineris and Chryse Planitia.

 In this talk, Dr. Stillman will demonstrate how observations from the ~25 cm/pixel High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (Hi-Rise) onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and surface temperature data acquired by three orbital instruments suggest that RSL are caused by subsurface liquid water flows.

Speaker: David Stillman, Southwest Research Institute