Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes
This study delves into the "Fourth Order Landscapes" of Mars as outlined by Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue. It categorizes Martian terrain into four orders of relief, highlighting the planet's crustal dichotomy and various regional features, such as the Tharsis and Elysium rises. It further dissects the geological eras influencing these landscapes: Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian. The analysis includes the assessment of smaller features driven by unique processes, including fluvial valleys, alcoves, and wind-eroded landscapes, enhancing our understanding of Martian geomorphology.
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes
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Presentation Transcript
Geography 441/541 S/14 Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes • The first order was the great crustal dichotomy: • Northern lowlands: ~ 1/3 • Southern highlands: ~2/3 • The second order was the large regional features: • Tharsis and Elysium rises • The largest craters: Hellas, Argyre, Isidis, Utopia • Valles Marineris • The polar ice caps
C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes • The third order was the somewhat smaller major regions associated with the araeological eras: • In many ways, this is a cross-cutting category • It addresses the “geological column” or relative ages of all Martian landscapes in terms of the three regional units that gave the three-part sequences of Mars’ evolution their names: • The Noachian Era • The Hesperian Era • The Amazonian Era
C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes • The fourth order is “in order” now: • These are smaller features (a few kilometers to a few hundred km): • They are landscapes dominated by one or two processes • Fluvial valleys • Sapping alcoves • Outwash channels • Linear fossæ • Folded and faulted mountains of Thaumasia • Lava tubes • Layered mesas • Patterned ground • Wind abraded/etched landscapes • Dune fields • Evidence of mass wasting
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly precipitation-fed overland and channelized surface flow • Echus Chasma (Mars Odyssey Themis) • Echus Chasma (Mars Express) C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly precipitation-fed overland and channelized surface flow • Echus C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly precipitation-fed overland and channelized surface flow (L to R) • Terra Sirenum • Warrego Vallis, in Thaumasia Highlands • Nanedi Vallis C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly lake overflow channels • Ma’adim Vallis, pouring into Gusev Crater, where Spirit landed • Elsewhere on Nanedi Vallis • Nirgal Vallis west of Chryse Trough C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly alluvial fans and deltas • Melas C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly alluvial fans and deltas • Eberswalde Crater near Holden Crater C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly lake overflow channels: non-equilibrium systems • Argyre, Holden, Aram craters, Ares Vallis • Ma'adim upland lakes to Gusev? C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly jökulhlaup-like outflows • Kasei Vallis • Ares Vallis C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly jökulhlaup-like outflows • Ares Vallis • Aram Chaos and collapsed terrain C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly jökulhlaup-like outflows • Dao, Niger, and Harmakhis valles in Hellas Planitia C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Valleys dominated by fluvial processes: • Possibly jökulhlaup-like outflows • Chasma Borealis • Kathryn Fischbaugh and James Head created a topographic map and profiles and used them to estimate volume of a catastrophic melt (perhaps subsurface vulcanism): 26,000 km3! • Picked out deposits from such an event: could fill lowest portion of north polar basin to a few 10s of m! C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Alcoves, channels, aprons: • Groundwater sapping • Earth on right: Mt. St. Helens • Martian crater gully on left: MGS’ Mars Orbital Camera (~-55 at 18) C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Alcoves, channels, aprons: • Groundwater sapping • Earth on top: sides of Houghton Crater, Devon Island, Canada • North of Baffin Island • Only Earth crater on a polar desert surface • Site of NASA-Houghton Project • Martian crater gully on left: MGS’ Mars Orbital Camera (where?) C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Alcoves, channels, aprons: • Groundwater sapping • Fresh gullying • MGS’ Mars Orbital Camera C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Alcoves, channels, aprons: • Groundwater sapping • The triple point of water • Ways around that little issue: • Deep elevations • Fluids with lower freezing C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Linear fossæ and catenæ: • Extensional stress, faulting, downdropping of terrain between faults • Cerberus Fossæ C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Linear fossæ and catenæ: • Extensional stress, faulting, downdropping of terrain between faults • Claritas Fossæ C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Linear fossæ and catenæ: • Extensional stress, faulting, downdropping of terrain between faults • Alba Patera Fossæ C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB
Mars: Fourth Order Landscapes • Linear fossæ and catenæ: • Extensional stress, possibly with fluid extraction and subsidence • Tithonium Catenæ • Coprates Catenæ C.M. Rodrigue, 2014 Geography, CSULB