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Landslides in Valles Marineris, MarsThe morphology of the landslides in the Martian equatorial troughs, the geologic structure of the troughs, the time of emplacement, the similarity to terrestrial landslides, and the origin and mechanism of transport are analyzed. About 35 large landslides well-resolved on Viking images were examined, and it is found that the major landslides cover 31,000 sq km of the trough floors, and individual slides range in area from 40 to 7000 sq km. The morphologic variations of the landslides can be attributed mainly to their degree of confinement on trough floors. Many prominent landslides appear to be of similar age and were emplaced after a major faulting that dropped the trough floors. Most sliding occurred after the created scarps were dissected into spurs, gullies, and tributary canyons. Emplacement of the landslides approximately coincided with a late episode of major eruptive activity of the Tharsis volcanoes, and it is suggested that the slides may have originated as gigantic mudflows with slump blocks at their heads. The large size of many landslides is due to the fault scarps as high as 7 km on which they formed in the absence of vigorous fluvial erosion. The landslides suggest that Mars is earthlike in some respects, which may be important for further evaluations.
Document ID
19800042196
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Lucchitta, B. K.
(U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff, Ariz., United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
December 30, 1979
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 84
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
80A26366
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA ORDER W-13709
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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