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Tag Archives: Tharsis
Dikes: key link between Thaumasia Planum, Tharsis, and Valles Marineris?
The area called Syria-Thaumasia is a big triangular block of Mars just east of three giant Tharsis volcanos: Arsia, Pavonis, and Ascraeus Montes. Valles Marineris bounds the block on the north, while its southwest and southeast sides are defined by … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arsia Mons, Ascraeus Mons, dikes, olivine, Pavonis Mons, Syria-Thaumasia, Tharsis, Thaumasia, Thaumasia Planum, Valles Marineris, volcanism, wrinkle ridges
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Touching Mars from Earth
Remote sensing of Mars usually happens when spacecraft sensors look down from orbit around the Red Planet. But sensors on Earth can also get in on the fun, especially when they actively reach out to the planet via radio waves. … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Amazonis, Arecibo Observatory, Cerberus, Elsium, lava flows, lava roughness, radar, Tharsis, Utopia, volcanic activity, volcanos
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“Olympic” ocean in Tharsis?
Two features of Olympus Mons have puzzled geologists since they were discovered decades ago. First are the “aureole” deposits, rough terrain extending as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the volcano. And second is the scarp, about 8,000 meters … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged lava flows, Oceanus, Olympus Mons, polar ocean, Tharsis, volcanos
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Mars mineral bonanza?
If you could go to only one location on Mars, where would you find the most complete assortment of known Martian minerals? A new report, with lead author Patrick Thollot (Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, CNRS), in the Journal of … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged clay minerals, climate change, CRISM, HiRISE, HRSC, hydrated minerals, Noctis Labyrinthus, opal, phyllosilicates, silicates, sulfates, Tharsis
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Did Tharsis change its volcanic style?
Volcanic activity on Mars tends toward an “effusive” eruption style: it produces many low-profile, broad-skirted volcanos. These are made with sheets of runny lavas that flow like warm motor oil for long distances, spilling over and around obstacles or burying … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged cinder cones, lava flows, pyroclastic eruptions, Tharsis, volcanos
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Water-related minerals in Noctis Labyrinthus
Noctis Labyrinthus, created 2 to 3 billion years ago, is a sprawling network of intersecting valleys and troughs between the Tharsis volcanic highlands and Valles Marineris. Deep within its troughs, canyon walls and floors display beds of layered rocks and … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged clay minerals, CRISM, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Noctis Labyrinthus, Tharsis, Valles Marineris
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Cracks in the basement
When geological forces open a crack in bedrock, molten magma can squeeze in and widen it, after which the magma cools and hardens in place. The result is a dike, and such features let geologists delve into an outcrop’s history … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Coprates Chasma, CRISM, dikes, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, olivine, pyroxene, Tharsis, Valles Marineris, volcanic activity
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Hunting for young lava flows
The quest to find the youngest, most recent lava flows on Mars inevitably leads back to two highly volcanic regions: Elysium and especially Tharsis. A group of researchers led by Ernst Hauber (DLR, Berlin) has zeroed in on Tharsis. Ignoring … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged CTX, lava flows, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Tharsis, volcanos
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How to date a volcano
Without rock samples to analyze in a laboratory, how can you tell the age of a Martian volcano? A team led by Stuart Robbins (University of Colorado) used high-resolution images to count craters in the calderas (summit collapse pits) of … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Apollinaris Patera, dating, Olympus Mons, Tharsis, volcanos
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