Formation and Tectonic Evolution of Sedimentary Sequences on Mars from HiRISE Stereo Topography

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Scientific paper

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5464 Remote Sensing, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties, 6225 Mars

Scientific paper

Stereo topography from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provides a new tool for investigating the stratigraphy of widespread sedimentary deposits, including both their formation and subsequent tectonic evolution. Digital Terrain Models from HiRISE images with a post spacing of 1 meter have been created which enable resolving the topographic signature of sub-meter thickness bedding in layered outcrops. By accounting for tectonic deformation and erosional topography, an accurate stratigraphic record can be recovered. By stratigraphically correcting profiles of either topographic slope or image brightness, we are able to obtain a continuous stratigraphy with a mean sampling interval of order 10 cm. We will discuss the applications of such reconstructions for understanding the formation and evolution of sedimentary rocks on Mars. Reconstructed stratigraphic records are used to compare sedimentary records between adjacent outcrops to examine the lateral persistence of individual beds across layered deposits. In Arabia Terra, bedding is remarkably parallel, and nearly identical stratigraphic columns can be extracted over several kilometers. In other locations such as the deltaic deposits in Eberswalde crater, the stratigraphy is highly variable and difficult to correlate over similar scales. This observation suggests a fundamental difference in lateral depositional scales and formative mechanisms. Time series analysis has been performed to assess potential signals recorded in the sedimentary rocks at several locations around the planet. Through statistical comparison to a red noise spectral background, this technique has confirmed the presence of quasi-periodic stratigraphy at several locations in Arabia Terra, where repetitive bedding scales range from meters to tens of meters. Further, time series analysis has been used to demonstrate the apparent stochastic nature of layering at several sites in other regions of the planet. Where rhythmic sequences have been identified, we consider a connection to periodic orbital variations. HiRISE stereo observations have also revealed the pervasive influence of tectonics in some layered deposits, particularly in Arabia Terra. Correlation of the stratigraphy across zones of faulting has allowed us to quantify sense and magnitude of offset, accommodation by both brittle and ductile modes of deformation, as well as syn- vs. post-depositional timing.

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