Physics – Geophysics
Scientific paper
Nov 1981
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1981natur.294..304s&link_type=abstract
Nature, vol. 294, Nov. 26, 1981, p. 304, 305.
Physics
Geophysics
Mars Surface, Mars Volcanoes, Planetology, Plateaus, Astronomical Models, Tectonics, Terrain Analysis, Faults, Graben, Gravity Effects, Mars, Geophysics, Tharsis Montes, Features, Volcanoes, Diagrams, Topography, Terrain, Craters, Surface, Tectonism, History, Volcanism, Lithosphere, Models, Stress, Origin, Evolution, Mantles, Crusts, Hypotheses, Geology, Thickness, Formation
Scientific paper
In this paper, given at the Mars colloquium at the California Institute of Technology in August, 1981, models for the geophysical mechanisms which produced the Tharsis plateau on Mars are presented. Because no radiometric measurements for the ages of Martian rocks are available, the analyses rely on imagery of the surface, gravity anomalies from the acceleration of orbiting spacecraft, and topographical measurements from photogrammetry and earth-based radar. The Tharsis region is 4000 km diameter and 10 km above the surrounding terrain; the plateau features old and young volcanic constructs, fault systems, and grabens, along with tectonic remains similar to lunar mare regions. An isostatic model predicts that low density regions of the mantle extend several hundred km beneath the uplifted plateau. A flexural model indicates that volcanic action created the plateau, which is supported by the finite strength of the lithosphere. It is noted that evidence exists for tectonic movements of an older, uplift model, as well as for both the isostatic and flexural models, and lines of future study are discussed.
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