Geological Models for the Uppermost Martian Crust

Details Geological Models for the Uppermost Martian Crust Geological Models for the Uppermost Martian Crust

May 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agusm.p33b..05s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2004, abstract #P33B-05

Computer Science

Sound

5410 Composition, 5420 Impact Phenomena (Includes Cratering), 5430 Interiors (8147), 5470 Surface Materials And Properties, 5480 Volcanism (8450)

Scientific paper

Prototype cross-sections through the uppermost 100 m of the Martian crust are attempted for several distinct terrains: (a) young and uncratered (northern lowlands); (b) young and cratered (northern lowlands); (c) older and cratered (southern highlands) and (d) older and uncratered (southern highlands). Polar regions are also considered. The cross-sections are built from four main materials (1) uncemented sediment (i.e., dust and aeolian deposits); (2) cemented sediment (e.g., evaporites, sediments consolidated by diagenesis); (3) igneous rock (e.g., basaltic lavas and related hypabyssal intrusions, impact melt); and (4) megaregolith (i.e., impact-bombarded and impact-mixed material derived from 1-3 above). Megaregolith constitutes the foundation component, given that the entire crust had probably been impact processed by the end of the heavy bombardment period. The cross-sections have been constructed primarily in order to optimize the design of an orbiting synthetic aperture radar (SAR)/Sounder system for Mars. The cross-sections are also intended for use in mission planning (i.e., site selection, rover design and equipment selection). Understanding the composition and structure of the uppermost 100 m of the Martian crust is important for future missions. We need to estimate the likely substructure for landing sites so that we can optimize mission design. This is particularly important for rover-based drilling, ground-penetrating radar technology, sampling for evidence of life, and accessing H2O. Constructing cross-sections is an iterative process, largely based on existing remote sensing data (Mariner, Viking, MGS, Odyssey), combined with analogies with other terrestrial planets, especially Earth and the Moon. In this respect, Mars shows similarities with both the Moon (e.g., in megaregolith development and its preservation) and Earth (e.g., recent volcanism, presence of sedimentary deposits).

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