Surface refreshing of Martian moon Phobos by orbital eccentricity-driven grain motion

The surface of the Martian moon Phobos exhibits two distinct geologic units, red and blue, characterized by their spectral slopes. The provenance of these units is uncertain yet crucial to understanding the origin of the Martian moon and its interaction with the space environment. Here we present a combination of dynamical analyses and numerical simulations of particle dynamics to show that periodic variations in dynamic slopes, driven by orbital eccentricity, can cause surface grain motion. For regions with steep slopes that vary substantially over one Phobos orbit, the surface is excavated at a faster rate than the space weathering timescale. Our model predicts that this new mechanism is most effective in regions that coincide with blue units. Therefore, space weathering is the likely driver of the dichotomy on the moon’s surface, reddening blue units that represent pristine endogenic material.