Landscapes on Mars hold clues to its past climate and habitability. Key examples are fan‑shaped deposits, which are ubiquitous landforms on both Earth and Mars. Sediment fans on Earth are often formed by water, and the widespread occurrence of these features on Mars makes them some of the most important indicators for past climate. My graduate research focuses on understanding the variables impacting the formation and morphology of fan-shaped deposits on Mars.
This research project focused on understanding the sedimentary processes recorded in the Carolyn Shoemaker formation at Gale crater, Mars. Using orbital mapping of fluvial ridges in the northwest quadrant of the crater, I compared their stratigraphic position to outcrops along the Curiosity rover traverse. I then assessed the effects of post-depositional tilt and channel migration. My findings suggest that these ridges are part of the Carolyn Shoemaker formation and were shaped by local river processes, without requiring a large-scale environmental change.
Cardenas, B.T., Baran, Z.J., Downey, N.M., Lawrence, M., Wood, S.J., Yurchak, A. Can structural tilt be measured from exhumed channel belts on Mars? Numerical experiments using analog alluvial strata
Wood, S.J. & Limaye, A.B., (2026). Characterizing the modulating effects of basin geometry and water level on Mars fan-shaped deposits. Department of Environmental Sciences EnviroDay Research Symposium , University of Virginia, February 20, 2026, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Wood, S.J. & Cardenas, B.T. (2025). Lateral Extent of the Fluvial Carolyn Shoemaker Formation, Gale Crater, Mars.Undergraduate Thesis, Pennsylvania State University, April 25, 2025, State College, PA, USA.
Wood, S.J. & Cardenas, B.T. (2024). Lateral Extent of the Fluvial Carolyn Shoemaker Formation, Gale Crater, Mars. Abstract #1618920, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting , December 9-13, 2024, Washington D.C., USA.
Cardenas, B.T., Baran, Z., Downey, N.M., Lawrence, M., Wood, S.J., and Yurchak, A. (2024). Martian fluvial ridge topography: experiments on differential erosion and structural tilt. Abstract #1685373, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting , December 9-13, 2024, Washington D.C., USA.
Cardenas, B.T., Baran, Z., Wood, S.J., and Yurchak, A. (2024). Indicators of Structural Tilt Preserved in Fluvial Ridge Topography: Numerical Experiments Exploring the Biases of Using Erosional Topography to Reconstruct Underlying Stratigraphy. Abstract #3007, Tenth International Conference on Mars , July 22-25, 2024, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Cardenas, B.T., Baran, Z., Wood, S.J., and Yurchak, A. (2024). Could channel belts on Mars be used to reconstruct structural tilt? Numerical experiments using 3D seismic volumes from the US Gulf Coast. Abstract #70, SEPM International Sedimentary Geosciences Congress , May 5-8, 2024, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.