THEMIS Observations of Pitted Cones in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae

Analysis of Viking imagery revealed the presence of large numbers of pitted or cratered cones in the northern plains of Mars with the highest concentrations occurring in eastern Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae. Based largely on crater/cone diameter ratio comparisons, these features were hypothesized as being analogous to terrestrial pseudocraters (rootless cones) such as occur in the Lake Myvatn region of Iceland. Doubts remained about this connection given the disparity in mean diameters between these Martian features (mean diameter of approx. 600 m) and the Icelandic rootless cones (mean diameter of approx. 50 m). Recent analysis of MOC Narrow Angle camera images of Elysium Planitia, Amazonis Planitia and elsewhere have revealed another class of features with diameters commensurate with the Icelandic rootless cones. If the features in Acidalia and Cydonia are not rootless cones, what are they? Recent information on the thermophysical properties of these features as provided by the Mars Odyssey THEMIS instrument may help to answer this question.