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Tag Archives: Valles Marineris
Mars’ explosive childhood
Mars is widely understood to be a volcanic planet — its surface shows abundant evidence of volcanic activity, both ancient and more recent. Spacecraft detect lava flows in many locations, and spectroscopic evidence of volcanic rocks lies almost everywhere. The … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged climate, Coprates Chasma, early Mars, magnetic field, Mars Odyssey, THEMIS, thermal inertia, Valles Marineris, volcanism, volcanos
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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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Did ice and dust make layered deposits in Valles Marineris?
Vast mounds of layered material lie in numerous places throughout the giant canyon system of Valles Marineris, and especially in Candor Chasma, Ophir Chasma, and Melas Chasma. The origin of these “interior layered deposits” (ILDs) have been debated since they … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged atmosphere, Candor Chasma, clay minerals, climate change, dust, ice, ILDs, interior layered deposits, Melas Chasma, Ophir Chasma, sulfates, Valles Marineris
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Did lake-effect storms make Martian snowbelts?
Numerous places on Mars show erosion by precipitation, whether as rainfall or runoff from melting snow. The precipitation could have come from a thicker atmosphere or a temporary boost in atmospheric temperature and density following a large impact. Both scenarios … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged atmosphere, climate, Echus Chasma, Juventae Chasma, lakes, rain, snow, storms, Valles Marineris, water
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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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