The Landform Equation qualitatively describes the main factors that influence landscape formation: structure, process, and time. Structure encompasses the geology and climate of the landform, while process describes the effects that gravity, biology, and human action have in shaping a local environment. Time is a general description of the age of the landform, the rate at which it formed, and the history behind its evolution.
The possibility of finding evidence of life on Mars is the main reason for several recent space missions to our neighboring planet. While it seems to be a relatively inactive world, Mars shows signs of an extremely diverse past in which it went from a warm, wet environment to its current cold and desert-like state. During the transition, volcanoes, apparent river beds, and various other land features were formed that are still visible today. By looking at the surface of Mars and the clues that it holds to its past, one can speculate about the origin of the Martian landscape. Applying of Earth's Landform Equation to the red planet provides an overview of the factors that have influenced the evolution of the Martian surface.
Applying the Landform Equation to Mars
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