A Comparative View of Glacial and Periglacial Landforms on Earth and Mars

Abstract

This paper emphasizes the importance of using terrestrial analogues to improve our understanding of the role of ice on Mars, both in the past and present, through its associated landforms. We present a series of sites of interest for their climate conditions, topography, glaciation history, ice dynamics and mass balance, and presence of specific landforms, that capture past or present conditions on Mars. Because the next natural step in terms of identifying sites with potential for ISRU calls for in-situ investigation of icy regions, we discuss a list of techniques currently used to characterize (peri)glacial environments on Earth. The continued research of Martian (peri)glacial environments through comparative geology is largely relevant for the future of Mars exploration.