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Mars: Volcanism in the Valles Marineris overlookedDo volcanic rocks exist in the Valles Marineris. This question is pertinent because the Valles Marineris are gigantic grabens, rivaling rift valleys on earth in size and depth. The Valles Marineris were interpreted as extensional tectonic structures, perhaps incipient rifts. On earth, rift valleys commonly contain volcanic deposits. On Mars, deposits inside the Valles Marineris grabens do not have the morphologic signature of such easily identified volcanic features as shield volcanoes or lava flows. Therefore, many researchers have not recognized the deposits inside the Valles Marineris as volcanic. Is Mars, then, different from earth in having formed riftlike grabens unaccompanied by volcanism. Overall, results from the study suggest that volcanism was present in the Valles Marineris; the volcanism was explosive in places; some volcanism was more felsic than that generally assumed elsewhere; and the younger sequence of interior beds was emplaced so late in Martian history that the planet may be considered to be still volcanically active.
Document ID
19880021107
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lucchitta, B. K.
(Geological Survey Flagstaff, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Inst., NASA MEVTV Program Working Group Meeting: Volcanism on Mars
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
88N30491
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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