The poles of Mars, past and present: A high-resolution observational study of the martian polar regions and their connection to climate

The poles of Mars, much like Earth's polar regions, are covered by kilometer-thick sheets of ice that interact with the Martian atmosphere and can record climatic changes in their stratigraphy. These polar caps are composed of several icy sections that interact with the Martian environment over different timescales. This dissertation describes my investigation of two of these units: The South Polar Residual Cap (SPRC), and the North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD). The overarching theme of my work is to explore the connections between these caps and the current (SPRC) and past (NPLD) climate of Mars using a wide variety of data from spacecraft missions, and applying numerical models of surface properties and processes to interpret the observations. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).