Relation between condensation of carbon dioxide on slope and formation of martian gullies

Abstract

The observation of recent gullies related to a possibility of the existence of liquid water on present Mars has been concerned in recent years. Some models assume formation of gullies by liquid water but they cannot explain the absence of the features in the equator regions. Other models assume CO2 as a volatile associated with the formation of gullies. We show that a latitude of the boundary between regions with CO2 consolidation on poleward-facing slops and those without CO2 condensation is about a latitude of 30. The result suggests a possibility of some correlation between the existence of CO2 and the formation of gullies.