Transcript Mars PowerPoint

Did Lava or Water
Affect the
Formation of
Elysium Planitia?
Source: dailygalaxy.com
Elysium Planitia is a large plain on the
planet Mars. It covers an area of 3,000
km2 (1,860 m2). It is located at 2.98 N
154.74 E (center).*
*Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union
(IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN),
accessed January 31, 2014.
JPL Mars Atlas, accessed January 31, 2014.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Elysium Planitia is a
volcanic region. It
second in size only to
the Tharsis region.
There are three large
volcanoes, which
while smaller than the
volcanoes in the
Tharsis region, they
are still large.*
Elysium Mons is 9 km (5.6 miles) high and
about 240 km (150 miles) in diameter. Like the
volcanoes found at Tharsis, Elysium Mons
“sits on a large pile of lava flows. This lets it
rise 12 km [7.5 miles] above the mean
planetary elevation.”*
*Oregon State University – Volcano World, accessed January 31, 2014.
On the northwestern edge of
Elysium Mons, there are large
channels from several valleys
(grabens). They may have been
formed when large volumes of
water of subsurface water was
released.*
*Universe Today, Volcanoes on Mars by Jerry
Coffey, June 4, 2008, accessed February 1, 2014.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona
State University.
Other volcanoes are found here. Hecates
Tholus is 180 km (112 miles) across and 4.8
kilometers (3 miles) high. Albor Tholus is 150
km (93 miles) across and 4.1 km (2.5 miles)
high.*
Hecates Tholus and Albor Tholus (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona
*Coffey, Op. cit.
State University)
It is possible that a frozen sea existed on
Elysium Planitia. Geologists based this
finding on ground patterns near Athabasca
Vallis (1,180 km [730 miles] south of Elysium
Planitia).*
Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
*The Encyclopedia of Science, Elysium Planitia,
accessed June 23, 2013.
Evidence to support the possibility of flooding in its early
history has been found by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
“[T]he Shallow Radar instrument on NASA's Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter detected flood channels that had been
buried by lava flows in the Elysium Planitia region of
Mars.” The lava flow effectively buried evidence of its older
geologic history.*
Image – Daily Galaxy
*Ancient Water Channels of Mars --The Elysium Planitia in 3-D,
Daily Galaxy, March 8, 2013, accessed October 15, 2013.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
A variegated mottled texture is readily apparent in this terrain
located NW of the volcano, Elysium Mons. The Hrad Vallis (the
Armenian word for Mars) channel system can be seen sauntering
across the bumpy landscape of Utopia Planitia. The upper
branch of Hrad Vallis has a large chunk of material on its floor;
this chunk appears to have been rafted away from the material
on the far left of the image (moved from left to right). This is
unusual because the channel flows toward the left. This material
may be lava flows. Many craters in this region of the planet have
their interiors filled with material. Pedestal craters (craters with
ejecta blankets perched higher than the surrounding plains) are
also found in these regions. These observations seem to imply
that this region was once buried and has now been uncovered
(exhumed). The exact causes and timing of these events are
unknown.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
The dissected and eroded channel observed in
this THEMIS image taken of the region
southwest of the volcano Elysium Mons shows
typical erosional islands and depositional
features. The interesting thing about this
channel is that it appears to start out of nowhere.
The MOLA context image shows that the
channel originates from a fissure within the
ground, whose origin is likely volcanic, but may
also be related to volatile ([of a substance] easily
evaporated at normal temperatures) processes.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
This VIS image shows just
one of many lava channels
located on the Elysium Mons
volcanic complex.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
This image shows several
of the channels located in
the Elysium Mons volcanic
complex. It is likely that
these channels were
formed by lava flow rather
than water.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
The THEMIS image contains one
large crater with layered details in
the walls, and many smaller
craters. One team went on to
attempt to find the relative age of
the Elysium Mons lava flow by
comparing its crater count to the
crater count of a known age lava
flow on our own Moon.
THEMIS images indicate
evidence of lava flows.
The platy surface texture observed in this
THEMIS image of the vast plains southeast
of the volcano Elysium Mons likely formed
by very fluid cooling lava. Variations in the
surface texture may reflect different cooling
or flow rates of the lava. The lack of any
large impact craters also points to a relatively
young age for these volcanic materials. The
two largest impact craters occur in the higher
plateau unit indicating that these materials
are older.
While there is evidence of
water in the surrounding area,
volcanic lava flows are
prevalent in the area. This
leads to the conclusion that
volcanic processes are
responsible for the formation
of Elysium Planatia.