Evidence for a Crustal-scale Thrust Belt along the Northwestern Margin of the Tharsis Rise: Implications for Possible Plate Subduction on Mars

Details Evidence for a Crustal-scale Thrust Belt along the Northwestern Margin of the Tharsis Rise: Implications for Possible Plate Subduction on Mars Evidence for a Crustal-scale Thrust Belt along the Northwestern Margin of the Tharsis Rise: Implications for Possible Plate Subduction on Mars

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmep21a0734y&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #EP21A-0734

Physics

[5475] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Tectonics, [5480] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Volcanism, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars, [8011] Structural Geology / Kinematics Of Crustal And Mantle Deformation

Scientific paper

The aureole zone of the Olympus Mons marks the northwestern edge of the Tharsis rise. Its origin has been related to (1) a slow moving landslide complex, (2) emplacement of pyroclastic flows, and (3) thrusting due to magma push from the Olympus Mons. The first two mechanisms require transport of the landslide complex or volcanic flows over the surface of the Northern Lowlands (i.e., Amazonis Planitia), while the last mechanism predicts concentric contraction and thus radial extension centered around the Olympus Mons. A preliminary examination of THEMIS, CTX and HiRISE images was conducted to test the predictions of the above hypotheses. The study focuses on the structural geology of the aureole zone, its relationship to the Acheron Fossae involving Noachian basement to the north, and deformation patterns in the foreland region across Amazonis Planitia to the west. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) the transport direction of the frontal thrust of the aureole zone is mainly in the northwest direction with a prominent left-slip transfer zone along its southwest margin, (2) the frontal thrust of the aureole zone is linked with a northeast-striking thrust bounding the east side of Acheron Fossae, suggesting that thrusting is crustal scale rather than being a gliding zone along the surface of Mars, and (3) the foreland region west of the aureole zone exposes northeast-striking thrusts expressed as lobate scarps and cut the youngest sediments in Amazonis Planitia. The most intriguing feature revealed by this study is the Erebus Montes, which is located at the western margin of Amazonis Planitia is bounded by a northeast-striking normal fault zone. Its parallel relation to the frontal thrust suggest that this topographic high may be the fore-bulge of the Olympus-Acheron thrust belt and Amazonis Planitia the foreland basin of the thrust belt. The presence of the thrust belt, foreland basin, and fore-bulge defines a subduction system that dips below the Olympus Mons. Possible cause of the thrust belt is currently unknown.

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