Major episodes of the hydrologic history in the region of Hesperia Planum, Mars

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

15

Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: General Or Miscellaneous, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Erosion And Weathering, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface Materials And Properties, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

The High Resolution Stereo Color camera (HRSC) data over Hesperia Planum and its surroundings reveal important details of geologic episodes and water-related processes in this region. (1) The Noachian fluvial events of Hesperia Planum depression included accumulation of water and formation of a water/ice reservoir there. Later, the reservoir was depleted in several phases reflecting diminishing amounts of water. Climate changes and/or volcanism were important in these volatile releases. (2) The massive, 0.45-1.5 × 106 km3, erosion from the Hesperia depression before the main lava eruption possibly resulted in thick, 0.5-1.5 km, deposits in Hellas Planitia. (3) Measurements of the flooded craters within Hesperia Planum provide the estimates of the thickness of lavas there, about 250-500 m. The final volume of lavas within Hesperia Planum (0.4-0.7 × 106 km3) is comparable with the range of some terrestrial igneous provinces such as Columbia River Basalts. (4) Extended magmatism possibly triggered formation of the outflow channel in a few locations after the lava emplacement. During this episode, about 0.04 × 106 km3 of material (about 4.5-8.9% of the volume eroded in the episode of massive erosion) were removed. The thickness of the composite lava layer exposed on the walls of the outflow channels, a few hundreds of meters, corresponds well to the thickness estimates made by the measurements of the flooded craters. (5) Dispersed viscous flows (debris aprons, flow-like deposits) reflect the final fluvial events. Viscous flows from the subsurface sources in the Southwestern trough associate with Dao, Niger, and Harmakhis Valles. These flows represent the final volatile discharge from the Hesperia reservoir that mostly was depleted by the earlier events of massive erosion and formation of the outflow channels. Viscous surface flows are mostly associated with Reull Vallis and probably reflect redistribution of volatiles related to the late episodes of evolution of this outflow channel.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Major episodes of the hydrologic history in the region of Hesperia Planum, Mars does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Major episodes of the hydrologic history in the region of Hesperia Planum, Mars, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Major episodes of the hydrologic history in the region of Hesperia Planum, Mars will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1611501

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.