Map 3079 U.S
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Scientific Investigations Map 3079 U.S. Department of the Interior Prepared for the Atlas Of Mars: MTM 35337, 40337 and 45337 Quadrangles U.S. Geological Survey National Aeronautics and Space Administration Pamphlet accompanies map 20° 340° 21° 6000 1000 339° 22° CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS 47.5° 338° 23° 5600 N(2) 337° 24° SURFICIAL PLAINS PLATEAU IMPACT CRATER N(5) Nplsl 5200 336° 25° MATERIAL MATERIAL MATERIAL MATERIAL 335° PERIOD EPOCH 4800 800 c2 Late 4400 47.5° Hpm 47.5° EN-MN Middle 4000 Nplsl Afs 3600 600 47° Nplsu Nplsl Ada Nplsl Ada Early 3200 N(5) N(2) AMAZONIAN 2800 Hpm c1 47.5° 2400 400 47° 47° c3 2000 Nplsl LN Nplsl Late 1600 Nplsu Ada 1200 200 EH Hpm c c2 2 800 47° LH HNps 400 Afs EA HESPERIAN Early 0 0 Ada Nplsu Ada c1 c2 c3 Afs Nplsl Ada Hpm HNps Ncc Npld Nplsu Geologic Units 46° Hpm c1 Figure 2. Plot of crater density data for geologic units in the Nplsu HNps Deuteronilus Mensae map region (see table 1 for data values, error range calculation, and unit names). Solid horizontal lines are breaks between c1 Late Martian periods and dashed horizontal lines are breaks between epochs 0 20 KILOMETERS 46° c as defined by Tanaka (1986): EN–MN, Early to Middle Noachian; LN, 1 Ada Nplsu 46° Hpm Late Noachian; EH, Early Hesperian; LH, Late Hesperian; EA, Early Figure 6. Closed, irregularly shaped depressions (black outline) with polygonal Amazonian. blocks and (or) knobs within a sub-circular basin in the highland plateau. The HNps Ncc basin is roughly defined by the –2,000 m (green) and –2,100 m (yellow) contours HNps from MOLA gridded topography. The knobs and blocks range from a few Ada 46° NOACHIAN Nplsu Middle hundred meters to several kilometers across. The areas between the knobs and blocks are occupied by smooth fill material (unit Afs). Together, the knobs and Npld smooth fill form a hummocky depression floor. The well-preserved impact crater Nplsu Ada 20° near the center of the basin is located at lat 36.8° N., long 22.3° E. Background is Nplsl 45° 47.5° Viking MDIM 2.1 at 256 pixel/degree (NASA/JPL/USGS). North towards top of 25° Nplsu Early c image. 2 Ada 0 5 KILOMETERS c1 Nplsu A′ Figure 10. Bulbous lobe of debris apron material (unit Ada) c 45° 2 Deuteronilus Mensae + Fig. 9 45° DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS + Fig. 4 with surface lineations that has flowed through a gap in a c2 mountainous ridge and onto smooth plains material (unit Nplsu SURFICIAL MATERIAL HNps). This lobe, and other prominent lobes nearby, are located Afs Smooth fill material (Late to Early Amazonian)—Smooth deposits surrounding the areas between blocks in an area (40.0° N.) where large apron masses have flowed HNps Nplsu + Fig. 8 and knobs on the floors of closed depressions (lat 36.5° N., long 23.3° E.), covering parts of the floors away from the bases of upper smooth plateau material (unit 45° Nplsu Ada of some impact craters, including Cerulli crater, and the small isolated flats along the rim of Cerulli ). Image center near lat 39.8° N., long 23.0° E. Portion of crater; patches of small knobs within fill deposits below mappable scale are denoted by hachures; THEMIS VIS image V12057009 (NASA/JPL/ASU). North towards top of image. Nplsu grooves in deposits on some impact crater floors follow the curvature of crater walls (lat 36.8° N., long 22.3° E.). Interpretation: Mass-wasted detritus and eolian materials, possibly mixed with ice, that have 44° filled and in some cases, flowed towards the center of low-lying features. Within closed depressions, Nplsu Ada knobs are remnants of eroded blocks and debris from collapse of plateau surface. Within several impact c2 craters, flow convergence at crater center may form concentric grooves; alternatively, grooves may be eroded airfall deposits producing similar concentric patterns (Zimbelman and others, 1989) + + Fig. 5 HNps Ada Debris apron material (Middle to Early Amazonian)—Smooth, lobate deposits surrounding and extending Fig. 15b 44° 44° beyond the bases of mesas, knobs, crater rims, and fretted valley walls; forms bulbous lobes that extend Nplsu Nplsu Ada through breaks in upper plateau material (unit ) (lat 39.8° N., long 23.0° E.) and along margin of HNps Deuteronilus Colles (lat 41.8° N., long 21.2° E.); some surfaces have lineations parallel or transverse to apparent flow direction; some deposits near the slope base are partially covered by one or more apron Nplsu deposits above, forming successive lobate fronts (lat 40.0° N., long 20.5° E.); 1–2 km gap between bases 44° Fig. 15c + of knobs, mesas, and fretted valleys and the apron head are common (lat 40.1° N., long 23.6° E.); materials overlie or embay crater ejecta, knobs, plains, and plateau materials (units Nplsu, Nplsl, Npld, Fig. 13 HNps, Hpm, c1, c2, and c3). Interpretation: Mixtures of ice and mass-wasted detritus that have flowed + block c 1 surfaces Ada Nplsu downslope and covered older units. Apron fronts indicate multiple flow events. Deuteronilus Colles Nplsu 43° Nplsu apron materials may be eroded remnants of an ancient central peak structure. Gaps may represent upper c2 margin retreat or downslope advance of the apron mass with cessation of supply Fig. 12 + HNps Nplsu PLAINS MATERIAL HNps Hpm Mottled plains material (Late to Early Hesperian)—Topographically variable materials with bright 43° 43° flat-topped surfaces and surrounding lower dark hummocky surfaces; margins of some bright surfaces Nplsu bounded by scarps; hummocky surfaces have small knobs in some locales (lat 45.8° N., long 20.5° E.); where adjacent to smooth plains (unit HNps), elevation is similar along the contacts; surfaces are topographically below both smooth plateau units (Nplsu and Nplsl). Interpretation: Origin of this unit Ada Nplsu 43° is unknown, but could be related to erosion and redistribution of plateau materials, a transition from c2 Afs highland plateau to northern lowlands terrain, or a dark smooth fill material covered with bright patches of Lyot crater (lat 50.5° N., long 29.3° E.) ejecta c 2 HNps Smooth plains material (Early Hesperian to Late Noachian)—Smooth, relatively featureless materials c2 Fig. 10 + with regions of variable albedo north of continuous cratered highlands; exhibits scattered clusters of Afs 42° c3 Deuteronilus Ada small circular to irregular knobs (denoted on map by hachures); dark streaks appear to extend beyond c Afs 1 the margin of some dark albedo regions (lat 46.0° N., long 21.2° E.); where adjacent to mottled plains Hpm Interpretation Ada HNps (unit ), elevation is similar along the contacts. : Eroded plateau material (units Nplsu 0 1 KILOMETER c1 Nplsu, Nplsl, and Npld) deposited in low-lying areas, mixed and (or) covered with eolian deposits. + Fig. 11 42° 42° Patchy dark albedo areas covered with thin dust mantle that is modified by eolian activity, producing Nplsu wind streaks Figure 7. Portion of a closed depression in the highland Nplsu Afs Colles plateau with smooth fill material (unit ) occupying areas Fig. 15a + PLATEAU MATERIAL between adjacent blocks of upper smooth plateau material (unit Nplsu). Two surfaces along the edge of one block are clearly Npld Dissected plateau material (Middle Noachian or older)—Portions of continuous cratered highlands with 42° visible, suggesting that plateau materials may be layered in sinuous channels; elongate depressions and secondary crater fields associated with Cerulli crater are places. The block also stands higher along this edge, suggesting common; channels are concentric to a sub-circular basin and well-preserved impact crater near lat 36.8° that it is tilted down into the smooth fill deposits along the HNps Nplsu N., long 22.3° E.; where adjacent to upper smooth plateau material (unit ), the materials are at opposite edge. Image center near lat 36.6° N., long 23.2° E. Interpretation 0 10 KILOMETERS similar elevations. : Ancient highland plateau modified by impact cratering and fluvial Portion of MOC NA image E1200224 (NASA/JPL/MSSS). 41° Afs activity. Channels may be related to fluvial dissection from fluid migration within impact-fractured Ada + Fig. 6 North towards top of image. Figure 11. Lobate debris apron material (unit Ada) extending c2 plateau materials c2 Ada Nplsu Nplsu Upper smooth plateau material (Middle Noachian or older)—Portions of continuous cratered highlands Fig. 7 + downslope and to the northeast from an escarpment has flowed HNps around small knobs (arrows) of upper smooth plateau material that are smooth with minor sinuous channels south of the plateau margin and polygonal mesas north of Nplsu the plateau margin; elevation and crater density of mesa top surfaces generally decrease northward; large (unit ). Curved lineations transverse to the apparent flow 41° direction along upper apron slopes could be ridges of material Nplsu 41° elongated depressions within continuous highlands contain irregular blocks or knobs of the original surface (lat 36.5° N., long 23.3° E.); where in contact with lower smooth plateau material (unit Nplsl), displaced upwards. Image center near lat 38.8° N., long 22.5° Ada E. Portion of THEMIS VIS images V11146004 and c this unit is positioned above unit Nplsl (lat 46.6° N., long 21.4° E.), forming a layered sequence of Nplsu 1 plateau materials revealed in polygonal mesas. Interpretation: Ancient highland plateau modified by V10834007 (NASA/JPL/ASU). North towards top of image. impact cratering, minor fluvial activity, and surface collapse above volatile-rich zones. Mesas are in-situ 41° Nplsu remnants of plateau beyond continuous margin. Knobs are smaller, more eroded remnants of the plateau. Knobs in Deuteronilus Colles may be remnants of a central peak from an impact structure Deuteronilus Mensae Nplsl Lower smooth plateau material (Middle Noachian or older)—Portions of cratered highlands above A surrounding plains (units HNps and Hpm) that are smooth with few impact craters; elevations of 40° Ada Nplsu mesa-like surface tops are consistently between –3,700 m and –3,800 m; albedo generally darker than Nplsu plains in Viking Orbiter data; where in contact with upper smooth plateau material (unit Nplsu), this unit is positioned below unit Nplsu (lat 46.6° N., long 21.4° E.).