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Is Kasei Valles (Mars) the Largest Volcanic Channel in the Solar System?

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Is Kasei Valles (Mars) the Largest Volcanic Channel in the Solar System? Icarus 301 (2018) 37–57 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Is Kasei Valles (Mars) the largest volcanic channel in the solar system? David W. Leverington Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, United States a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: With a length of more than 20 0 0 km and widths of up to several hundred kilometers, Kasei Valles is Received 31 January 2017 the largest outflow system on Mars. Superficially, the scabland-like character of Kasei Valles is evocative Revised 2 October 2017 of terrestrial systems carved by catastrophic aqueous floods, and the system is widely interpreted as a Accepted 3 October 2017 product of outbursts from aquifers. However, as at other Martian outflow channels, clear examples of Available online 5 October 2017 fluvial sedimentary deposits have proven difficult to identify here. Though Kasei Valles lacks several key Keywords: properties expected of aqueous systems, its basic morphological and contextual properties are aligned Mars with those of ancient volcanic channels on Venus, the Moon, Mercury, and Earth. There is abundant Surface evidence that voluminous effusions of low-viscosity magmas occurred at the head of Kasei Valles, the Mars channel system acted as a conduit for associated flows, and mare-style volcanic plains developed within Interior its terminal basin. Combined mechanical and thermal incision rates of at least several meters per day are Volcanism estimated to have been readily achieved at Kasei Valles by 20-m-deep magmas flowing with viscosities of 1 Pa s across low topographic slopes underlain by bedrock. If Kasei Valles formed through incision by magma, it would be the largest known volcanic channel in the solar system. The total volume of magma erupted at Kasei Valles is estimated here to have possibly reached or exceeded ∼5 × 10 6 km 3, a volume comparable in magnitude to those that characterize individual Large Igneous Provinces on Earth. Development of other large outflow systems on Mars is expected to have similarly involved eruption of up to millions of cubic kilometers of magma. ©2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction bacher, 1985; Baker, 2001, 2009; Andrews-Hanna and Phillips, 2007; Coleman and Baker, 2009; Warner et al., 2010a; Lamb The outflow channels of Mars formed mainly in the Hesperian et al., 2014; Larsen and Lamb, 2016; Lepotre et al., 2016 ). The and Amazonian as a result of voluminous fluid effusions from limited volumes of topographic basins at most system heads have the subsurface (e.g., Baker, 1982, Carr, 1996; Rodriguez et al., implied that outflow channel development was primarily driven 2015a , 2015b ). Channels head at topographic depressions, chaotic by catastrophic releases of groundwater from aquifers confined by terrain, graben-like landforms, and/or ridged plains, and extend frozen ground (e.g., Baker and Milton, 1974; Greeley et al., 1977; downslope for distances of up to thousands of kilometers (e.g., Theilig and Greeley, 1979; Carr, 1979, 1996; Mars Channel Working Milton, 1973; Sharp and Malin, 1975; Carr and Clow, 1981; Baker, Group, 1983; Clifford, 1993; Clifford and Parker, 2001; Keszthelyi 1982; Carr, 1996, 2012 ). Outflow systems are characterized by et al., 2007, 2014a; Wilson et al., 2009; Carr and Head, 2010; the presence of features such as anastamosing reaches, stream- Warner et al., 2010a; Rodriguez et al., 2012; Coleman, 2013; Lasue lined erosional residuals, longitudinal ridges and grooves, channel et al., 2013; Mangold and Howard, 2013; Morgan et al., 2013; cataracts, and inner channels (e.g., Baker and Kochel, 1979; Mars Marra et al., 2015; Rodriguez et al., 2015a; Cassanelli and Head, Channel Working Group, 1983; Baker, 20 01; Burr 20 05; Pacifici 2016 ), possibly in conjunction with glacial or other processes (e.g., et al., 2009; Chapman et al., 2010a,b ; Coleman, 2013; Morgan Lucchitta et al., 1981; Lucchitta, 1982, 2001; Chapman and Scott, et al., 2013 ). Similarities between these features and those of 1989; Costard and Baker, 2001; Head et al., 2004; Chapman et al., terrestrial rivers and diluvial systems have suggested common 2010a,b ; Bargery and Wilson, 2011; Cassanelli and Head, 2016 ). aqueous origins (e.g., Baker and Milton, 1974; Carr, 1974; Sharp Candidate fluvial and shoreline deposits continue to be iden- and Malin, 1975; Masursky et al., 1977; Baker et al., 1978a,b,c; tified at the Martian outflow channels and associated terminal Trevena and Picard, 1978; Mars Channel Working Group, 1983; basins (e.g., Chapman et al., 2010a,b ; Harrison and Chapman, 2010; Squyres, 1984; Mouginis-Mark et al., 1984; Elfström and Ross- Balme et al., 2012; Mouginot et al., 2012; Erkeling et al., 2012; Mangold and Howard, 2013; Ivanov et al., 2014; Rodriguez et al., 2014, 2015b; Keske et al., 2015 ), but recognition of clear examples E-mail address: [email protected] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.10.007 0019-1035/© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 38 D.W. Leverington / Icarus 301 (2018) 37–57 of such landforms has proven challenging (e.g., Greeley et al., 1977; on Mars suggests extraordinarily dry surface conditions during Baker and Kochel, 1979; Tanaka, 1997; Wilson and Mouginis-Mark, the timeframe of outflow channel development (e.g., Hoefen et al., 2003; Burr and Parker, 2006; Ghatan and Zimbelman, 2006; Lever- 2003; Goetz et al., 2005; Rogers et al., 2005; Bibring et al., 2005, ington, 20 07, 20 09; Carling et al., 20 09; Hobbs et al., 2011; Hopper 2006; Koeppen and Hamilton, 2008; Carr and Head, 2010; Hand, and Leverington, 2014; Rice and Baker, 2015 ). Channel-mantling 2012; Ehlmann, 2014; Salvatore et al., 2014 ), and there is little units with clear non-aqueous origins (e.g., lava flows) are generally spatial correlation on Mars between channel systems and hydrated interpreted by the research community as products of resurfacing minerals (e.g., Bibring et al., 2006; Mangold et al., 20 07, 20 08; events that followed initial development of channel systems by Carter et al., 2013; Ehlmann, 2014 ). Contrary to some accounts aqueous floods (e.g., Plescia, 2003; Kezthelyi et al., 2007, 2014; (e.g., Craddock et al., 1997; Crumpler, 1997; Golombek et al., 1997 ), Coleman and Baker, 2009; Dundas and Keszthelyi, 2014; Morgan outflow sites visited by three landers (Viking 1, Pathfinder, and et al., 2013; Salvatore and Christensen, 2014; Keske et al., 2015 ). Spirit rover) are clearly dominated by the effects of flood vol- Aqueous interpretations of the Martian outflow channels have canism and physical weathering (e.g., Binder et al., 1977; Greeley shaped modern perspectives regarding the geological history of et al., 1977, 2005; Leverington, 2011 ). Mars, and have influenced estimates of near-surface water vol- Though the Martian outflow channels lack many of the prop- umes (e.g., Baker, 1982; Carr, 1996; Carr and Head, 2015; Baker erties expected of aqueous systems, their properties are closely et al., 2015 ). Such interpretations have implied past environmental aligned with those of ancient volcanic channels including those conditions conducive to the flow of water along surface conduits of Venus, the Moon, Mercury, and Earth ( Leverington, 2004 , and to the ponding of water in lakes or oceans (e.g., Sharp and 2011 , 2014; Byrne et al., 2013; Hopper and Leverington, 2014 ). Malin, 1975; Baker, 1979; Baker et al., 1991; Clifford, 1993; Parker As expected of volcanic origins, the outflow channels of Mars et al., 1993; Head et al., 1999; Clifford and Parker, 2001; Ivanov commence at or near sites of eruption of low-viscosity lava, are and Head, 2001; Baker, 2001; Harrison and Chapman, 2008; Dohm extensively mantled by volcanic flows along component channels, et al., 2009; Moscardelli and Wood, 2011; Mouginot et al., 2012; and terminate at volcanic plains (e.g., Leverington, 20 04, 20 07, Lasue et al., 2013; Warner et al., 2013; De Blasio, 2014; Iijima 2009, 2011; Jaeger et al., 2010; Hopper and Leverington, 2014; et al., 2014; Ivanov et al., 2014; Moscardelli, 2014; Roda et al., Leone, 2014, 2016, 2017 ). Igneous processes have a demonstrated 2014; Salvatore and Christensen, 2014; Rodriguez et al., 2016; Carr capacity to drive enormous volumes of magma to the surfaces of and Head, 2016 ). Aqueous interpretations have suggested the past rocky bodies over short periods of time (e.g., Schaber et al., 1976; operation of a vigorous hydrological cycle (e.g., Carr, 1979, 1996; Wilson and Head, 1981, 2017; Head and Wilson, 1991, 1992, 2017; Risner, 1989; Baker et al., 1991; Clifford, 1993; Moore et al., 1995; Coffin and Eldholm, 1994; Baker et al., 1997; Williams et al., 2001, Williams et al., 20 0 0a; Clifford and Parker, 20 01; Baker, 20 01; 2011a; Stockstill-Cahill et al., 2012; Byrne et al., 2013; Hurwitz Harrison and Grimm, 2004, 2008; Rodriguez et al., 2007, 2015a; et al., 2013a b), and such processes, involving voluminous flow of Russell and Head, 2007; Lasue et al., 2013 ), and have been used lava sourced from large upper-mantle reservoirs, are correspond- to identify regions of possible astrobiological significance (e.g., ingly realistic mechanisms by which large outflow systems could Cabrol and Grin, 1995; Carr, 1996; Farmer and Des Marais, 1999; have developed on Mars ( McGetchin and Smith, 1978; Jaeger Burr et al., 2002; Dohm et al., 2004; Levy and Head, 2005; Murray et al., 2010; Leverington, 2011 ; 2014; Hopper and Leverington, et al., 2005; Warner et al., 2010b; Salvatore and Christensen, 2014; 2014; Baumgartner et al., 2015 , 2017 ). The potential importance of Pajola et al., 2016 ). volcanic processes in the development of Martian outflow systems Aqueous interpretations of the Martian outflow channels has previously been recognized for systems such as Mangala Valles are characterized by numerous serious weaknesses.
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