Abstract
Craters are the most prevalent basins and potential depo-centers of
sediment on Mars. Within these craters and extending from them, terminal
dune fields and wind streaks are abundant, indicating active sediment
transport and providing a way to study how wind and sediment interact
with crater topography. Here, we explore the role of craters as both
sources and sinks in the modern martian sedimentary cycle. Our results
show that craters with low albedo wind streaks (indicative of active
transport out of a crater) have lower crater wall slopes (9.4° ±5.5°)
compared to craters without wind streaks (17° ±5.8°). We interpret that
crater wall slopes play a dominant role in sediment transport out of a
crater basin, and infer, from measurements of craters on Mars, that a
crater transitions from being a net sediment sink to a net sediment
source when crater wall slopes reach ~15°. This
threshold value is consistent with limits of bedform climb observed on
Earth and elsewhere on Mars.