Other
Scientific paper
May 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agusm...v42a12t&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2001, abstract #V42A-12
Other
5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties, 5480 Volcanism (8450), 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
Geomorphic observations on Mars indicating the interaction of volcanism and H2O have long been recognized. Now, Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topographic data reveal what appear to be even more dramatic examples of magmatically driven erosion. Three regions of Early Hesperian plateau volcanism, each >106 km2, occur within topographic lows on the rims of large impact basins. Older basin inner-slope topography, including prominent massifs, is largely missing where the volcanic rocks occur. At Syrtis Major Planum, lavas lie ~200 m on average below the inner rim of Isidis basin. Similarly, Malea and Hesperia Plana respectively lie ~700 and ~400 m below the inner rim of Hellas basin. Missing rock volume is in the range of 105 -106 km3. We propose that magmatic activity at these sites began with shallow sills that drove catastrophic erosion of friable, upper crustal Noachian rocks. The rocks likely were charged with H2O ice and water and perhaps CO2 ice and CO2 clathrate; dry ice is more volatile than water ice and may better explain why such huge volumes of rock could be readily disrupted, eroded, and transported many hundreds of kilometers. The deposits would have each infilled the basins by tens to a few hundred meters on average. In Hellas basin, a large lobe of what may be such material extends from below Hesperia Planum westward across much of the basin floor. Further volcanism covered the eroded plains with sheet lavas, and broad low shields and volcanic subsidence structures formed at eruptive centers. Other possible erosional features related to shallow intrusion on Mars include large troughs at Valles Marineris, Tempe/Mareotis Fossae, Elysium Fossae; deep, broad canyons and chaotic terrain associated with large outflow channels; and many smaller enclosed depressions associated with the Tharsis and Elysium volcanic regions. Most of the largest features formed during the Hesperian, few if any are recognized in the Noachian, and generally smaller, local features developed during the Amazonian. These relations indicate that typical magmatism and perhaps crustal conditions evolved over time on Mars, making the relatively short Hesperian Period most favorable for catastrophic erosion driven by magmatic heating.
Hare Trent M.
Hoffman Neil
Kargel Jeff S.
MacKinnon David J.
Tanaka Ken L.
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