Evidence for Regional Basin Formation in Early Post-Tessera Venus History: Geology of the Lavinia Planitia Area (V55)

On Venus, global topography shows the presence of highs and lows including regional highly deformed plateaus (tesserae), broad rifted volcanic rises, linear lows flanking uplands, and more equidimensional lowlands (e.g. Lavinia and Atalanta planitiae) Each of these terrain types on Venus has relatively distinctive characteristics, but origins are uncertain in terms of mode of formation, time of formation, and potential evolutionary links. There is a high level of uncertainty about the formation and evolution of lowlands on Venus. We have undertaken the mapping of a specific lowlands region of Venus to address several of these major questions. Using geologic mapping we have tried to establish: What is the sequence of events in the formation and evolution of large-scale equidimensional basins on Venus? When do the compressional features typical of basin interiors occur? What is the total volume of lava that occurs in the basins and is this similar to other non-basin areas? How much subsidence and downwarping has occurred after the last major plains units? WE have undertaken an analysis of the geology of the V55 Lavinia Planitia quadrangle in order to address many of these issues and we report on the results here.