The Tectonics of Mars

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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
The Tectonics of Mars
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
Plate Tectonics ? It is always intriguing to ask
if plate tectonics have occurred in other
planetary objects. There was a tantalizing
observation suggesting possible crustal spreading
on Mars. The evidence was based on magnetic
mapping of the Martian surface. Some linear
magnetic stripes were detected in the southern
highland.
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
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Basalts of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
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Andesites of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
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Bulging and Tension
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
Tectonic processes represent surface geological
processes derived from stresses within the top
surface of a planet. There are two areas on Mars
that have experienced major crustal up-warping.
They are the Tharsis region and the Elysium
region. The up-warp of Tharsis is over 4000 km
wide and the vertical deformation exceeds 6 km.
This was probably produced by mantle processes
such as solid-state mantle convection. Because of
the large-scale up-warping at Tharsis, fracture
systems either radial or concentric to the
Tharsis bulge are visible. This is a network of
interconnected grabens centered on the
non-volcanic part of the Tharsis uplift and next
to the western edge of the Valles Marineris. It
is clear that the older, north-trending fractures
were overlaid by the younger, more chaotic system.
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
Viking 2 Orbiter image showing parallel faults
and fractures in the Ceraunius Fossae region on
Mars. These faults are a few km wide and extend
up to 300 km as part of the system of radial
faults associated with the Tharsis bulge.
North
15 km
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37
This Viking 1 Orbiter image of northern Ceraunius
Fossae, Mars shows long grabens containing chains
of rimless pit craters. This region is associated
with radial faulting of the Tharsis bulge.
North
8 km
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The Tectonics of Mars
GEOL466 - Lect. 37

• NW portion of the Tharsis Rise at about 12 N and
  125 W
• series of linear features graben
• crustal extension

North