The alkaline volcanic rocks of Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho and the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater, Mars Details

Meeting 2016 Fall Meeting

Section Planetary Sciences

Session Terrestrial Analogs for Planetary Processes: Oceans, Volcanoes, Impacts, and Dunes I

Identifier P31E-01

Authors Haberle, C W*, Mars Space Flight Facility, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States

Hughes, S S, Idaho State University, Idaho Falls, ID, United States

Kobs-Nawotniak, S E, Department of Geosciences, Idaho State University, Idaho Falls, ID, United States

Christensen, P R, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States

Index Sediment transport [4558] Terms Atmospheres [5405]

Titan [6281]

Venus [6295]

Abstract

Idaho's Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is host to extensive expressions of basaltic volcanism dominated by non evolved olivine tholeiites (NEOT) with localized occurrences of evolved lavas. Craters of the Moon National Monument (COTM) is a polygenetic lava field comprised of more than 60 lava flows emplaced during 8 eruptive periods spanning the last 15 kyrs. The most recent eruptive period (period A; 2500-2000 yr B.P.) produced flows with total alkali vs. silica classifications spanning basalt to trachyte. Coeval with the emplacement of the COTM period A volcanic pile was the emplacement of the Wapi and Kings Bowl NEOT 70 km SSE of COTM along the Great Rift. Previous investigations have determined a genetic link between these two compositionally distinct volcanic centers where COTM compositions can be generated from NEOT melts through complex ascent paths and variable degrees of fractionation and assimilation of lower-middle crustal materials. The Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, conducted a robotic investigation of Gusev crater from 2004-2010. Spirit was equipped with the Athena science payload enabling the determination of mineralogy (mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer, Pancam multispectral camera, and Mssbauer spectrometer), bulk chemistry (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer) and context (Pancam and Microscopic Imager). During sol 32 Spirit investigated an olivine basalt named Adirondack, the type specimen for a class of rock that composes much of the plains material within Gusev Crater and embays the Columbia Hills. Following the characterization of the plains material, Spirit departed the plains targeting the Columbia Hills and ascending at Husband Hill. During Spirits ascent of Husband Hill three additional classes of volcanic rock were identified as distinct by their mini-TES spectra; Wishstone, Backstay and Irvine. These rocks are classified as tephrite, trachy-basalt and basalt, respectively, and are the first alkaline rocks observed on Mars. These alkaline rocks can be genetically linked to Adirondack class basalts through fractionation of parental Adirondack melts at various depths. The alkaline rocks of COTM share similarities to the alkaline rocks of Gusev crater. Their mineralogical, chemical and spectral similarities and differences is the focus of this investigation.

Cite as: Author(s) (2016), Title, Abstract P31E-01 presented at 2016 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, ​ Calif., 11-15 Dec.