Mars plate tectonics (1) :An Earth prospective

Mathematics – Logic

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6225 Mars

Scientific paper

We hypothesize the existence of plate tectonism during the embryonic development of Mars, which resulted in the proposed Tharsis superplume (GSA, 2001). Similar to the major influence of superplume on the history of the Earth, we envision the Tharsis superplume to have dominated the geological and climatological history of Mars. Early Noachian plate tectonism is collectively explained by an array of prominent structures and features revealed through Viking-based geological investigations and through the recently acquired high-resolution topographic, imaginary, and geophysical coverage of the Mars Global Surveyor mission. These include: (1) highland-lowland boundary, (2) the Thaumasia highlands mountain range, (3) circular domes among distinct structures of similar trends (e.g., southwest margin of the Thaumasia highland mountain range), interpreted to be andesitic domes associated with subduction zone magma, (e.g., silicic-rich provenances that source andesitic materials to northern plains), and (4) geophysical anomalies such as those identified in the northern plain and regions located to the east-southeast of Hellas basin, interpreted to be the dead spreading centers and probably accreted terrains, respectively. Martian plate tectonism is thought to have continued after the core was frozen, resulting in the death of dynamo, because Mars potential temperature of mantle is expected to be higher than 1500° C, if 34% S-bearing Fe-Ni alloy core was consolidated. In this case, no magnetic stripes would remain in the northern lowland, whereas the proposed southern highland supercontinent that formed during the dynamo would have yielded strong magnetic signatures. For examples EW-trending narrow units with strong remanent magnetism in the southern highland may be accreted oceanic lithosphere. Moreover, the Archean hydrothermal system deposits located along the mid-oceanic ridges on the Earth suggest that the large amounts of carbonate and sulfate are expected to have been subducted into the Martian mantle with accreted fragments remaining in the accretionary complex in the southern highland. Key words: Mars, plate tectonics, supercontinent, accretion, Archean Earth

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