Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVII (2006) 1205.pdf ANALYSES OF AMBOY CRATER, MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, AS AN ANALOG FOR SMALL MARTIAN VOLCANOES. Jeffrey M. Byrnes1, David C. Finnegan2, Steven W. Anderson3, and Michael S. Ramsey4, 1U.S. Geological Survey, Astrogeology Team, 2255 North Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-1637 (
[email protected]), 2Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (CRREL), 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290, 3Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, 4Department of Geology and Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Motivation and Approach: Volcanic surface nature of the flow surface and the partial cover of sand, units, including lava flows and pyroclastic materials although a probable vent is located ~3 km WSW of the forming plains and edifices, are widespread on the cinder cone and additional vents have been proposed to surfaces of rocky planetary bodies. Understanding the account for local lava drainback features [5-6]. The formation and degradation processes that produce and mantle of sand, where present, varies in thickness from modify such geologic units is crucial to understanding a few centimeters to >1 meter thick. The dominant the geologic evolution of these bodies. In order to wind direction in the southern Mojave Desert is from characterize primary, eroded, and mantled the NW to the SE. This wind in conjunction with the characteristics of volcanic surfaces, we are developing abundant sand supply is responsible for a mottled a data fusion approach to examine the Amboy Crater pattern of alternating mantled and sand-free zones. A cinder cone and lava flow field.