Rift zone volcanism and associated cinder cone field in Utopia Planitia, Mars

We analyzed a small cone field in SW Utopia Planitia that shows striking similarities to volcanic rift zones on Earth. This is of particular interest as the study area lies off any of the volcanic centers of Mars in the northern hemisphere lowlands and is surrounded by material of the Amazonian aged...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Vol. 115; no. E12
Main Authors: Lanz, Julia K., Wagner, Roland, Wolf, Ursula, Kröchert, Jörg, Neukum, Gerhard
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2010
American Geophysical Union
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Summary:We analyzed a small cone field in SW Utopia Planitia that shows striking similarities to volcanic rift zones on Earth. This is of particular interest as the study area lies off any of the volcanic centers of Mars in the northern hemisphere lowlands and is surrounded by material of the Amazonian aged Vastitas Borealis Formation (VBF). We believe that the study area could be the first direct evidence for volcanic activity in Utopia Planitia prior to the resurfacing by VBF material. The most striking characteristics that we observed are (1) a set of broad eruptive fissures showing signs of ongoing extension during cone formation, (2) parallel dike swarms, (3) magmatic intrusions, and (4) a number of lava flows that have erupted from the fissures and pitted cones that surround a larger cone in the center of the study area and that are often associated with, or aligned along, the fissures and dikes. Cratering model ages indicate that the study area is of Late Noachian to Early Hesperian age and is thus distinctly older than the surrounding VBF, falling into the time frame of the main phases of activity in the volcanic centers of Syrtis Major, Elysium Planitia, and the southern highlands.
Bibliography:ArticleID:2010JE003578
istex:EC2534CD85740E37CE61FF2AF90DB13AF51B3AF4
ark:/67375/WNG-3G9G101C-S
ISSN:0148-0227
2156-2202
DOI:10.1029/2010JE003578