American Geophysical Union, Geophysical Research Letters, 15(30), 2003
DOI: 10.1029/2003gl017795
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A map of north-south subkilometer-scale slope asymmetry on Mars obtained from statistical analysis of along-track MOLA topographic profiles reveals well-defined zonal belts of north-south slope asymmetry at 40-50° latitude in both hemispheres. In these narrow anomalous belts the pole-facing slopes are systematically gentler than equator-facing slopes. This asymmetry is especially pronounced for the steepest (>20°) slopes, in which pole-facing slopes are three times less frequent than >20° slopes facing the equator. We interpret these belts to be related to insolation asymmetry. Specifically, we suggest that summertime melting of ground ice on pole-facing slopes occurred during periods of very high obliquity (~45°) in the past and favored downslope movement of material and reduction of steep pole-facing slopes.