C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes

Geography 441/541S/18

Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes

• The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes– The first order was the great crustal dichotomy:

– Northern lowlands: ~ 1/3– Southern highlands: ~2/3– Tharsis straddling the dichotomy and covering ~1/4

– The second order was the conspicuous large features: – The largest craters: Hellas, Argyre, Isidis, Utopia– Elysium volcanic rise– Valles Marineris system of rifts and landslides– The polar ice caps– Syrtis Major windswept basalt plateau– Chryse Trough possible fluvial drainage system– Kasei Valles outflow channels

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes

• The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes– The third order is what we're working on now:

• This is a cross-cutting category that addresses the “geological column” or relative ages of all Martian landscapes in terms of the three regional units that gave the three-part sequences of Mars’ evolution their names:– The Noachian Period– The Hesperian Period– The Amazonian Period

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes• Noachian Era was discussed a while back

– Oldest: – ~4.6 – 3.8 or 3.7 Ga– Earliest accretion, melting, differentiation of the planet– Era of bombardment (Earth’s Hadæan times)– Establishment of and shutting down of planetary magnetic field– Some geological activity:

– Valley networks– Volcanic activity (low viscosity flows, small pateræ)– Oceans?

– Examples:– Noachis Terra – Terra Tyrrhena– Aonia Terra – Terra Sabæa– Terra Sirenum – Margaritifer Terra– Terra Cimmeria – Xanthe Terra– Promethei Terra –Tempe Terra

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes• Hesperian Period was our last topic

– Intermediate ages: – Most commonly from ~3.75 – 2.9 billion Ga– Intense geological activity:

– Edifice vulcanism, eventually shield vulcanism– Folding and wrinkle ridges (compression)– Faulting and formation of linear grabens in extensional zones – Gigantic outwash floods far past Noachian valley network scale

– Period in which climate began to dry out; dustiness increased; water evaporated, froze, sank into permafrost; acidic geochemistry

– Examples:– Hesperia Planum – Vastitas Borealis– Malea Planum – Isidis Planitia Basin Deposits– Lunæ Planum – Syrtis Major Planum– Chryse Planitia – Solis Planum– Sisyphi Planum – Argentea Planum

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes• Amazonian Period is our newest topic

– Youngest: – Most commonly from ~3.0 – 2.9 Ga to present– Much more peaceful geologically:

– Shield vulcanism winds down– Oxidative geochemistry dominates– Some subsurface water releases and gullying– Some meteoroids continue to smack down– May be obliquity-related ice ages– Extent and recency of these are energetically debated

– Examples:– Amazonis Planitia – Arcadia Planitia– Utopia Planitia – Elysium Planitia– Dædalia Planum – North and South Polar Deposits– Acidalia Planitia – Lava flows on Tharsis & Elysium rises

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Amazonis Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Amazonis Planitia:MRO HiRISE

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Elysium Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Elysium Planitia: – pack ice? MEX

HRSC →

– Rahway Vallis \

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Elysium Planitia: Cerberus Fossæ

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Utopia Planitia floor:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Utopia surfaces

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Utopia surfaces

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Acidalia Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Acidalia Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Acidalia Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Planum Boreum: North Polar Layered Deposits

(SHARAD)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Planum Boreum: North Polar Layered Deposits

(HiRISE)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

North & South Polar Layered Deposits

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Planum Australe: South Polar Layered Deposits

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Planum Australe: South Polar Layered Deposits (HRSC)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Planum Australe: South Polar Layered Deposits (HiRISE)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Arcadia Planitia:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Arcadia Planitia

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Arcadia Planitiahttp://www.ingo-paulussen.de/pictures.htm

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Lavas of Tharsis:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Lavas of Tharsis and Dædalia

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Lavas of Tharsis and Dædalia

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Lavas of Elysium:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes

Lavas of Elysium Rise

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Amazonian Landscapes Lavas of Elysium Rise

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Third Order Landscapes

• The “Orders of Relief” for Martian Landscapes– Thus concludes our consideration of third order

landscapes:• These are large regions that are subtly different from one

another, marked by differences in crater density, crater alteration, and geomorphic evidence of processes that dominated particular periods on Mars

• I used this scale to discuss and illustrate the three major periods of Mars' geological history– The Noachian Period– The Hesperian Period– The Amazonian Period

– On to the finer scale features of the fourth order