Review Topography and morphology of the Argyre Basin, Mars: implications for its geologic and hydrologic history
Argyre, located in the southern highlands southeast of Tharsis, is one of the largest impact basins on Mars and formed in Early Noachian time. We use Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) data to characterize the basin and its geologic features and units. It has been proposed that meltback of a south polar ice...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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2002
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.653.7616 http://planetary.brown.edu/pdfs/2563.pdf |
| Summary: | Argyre, located in the southern highlands southeast of Tharsis, is one of the largest impact basins on Mars and formed in Early Noachian time. We use Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) data to characterize the basin and its geologic features and units. It has been proposed that meltback of a south polar ice cap during the Noachian completely 6lled the basin with water, that the out7ow channel in the north drained the basin, and that the water eventually entered the northern lowlands (Parker T.J., 1994.) If true, this would be the longest drainage system on either Mars or the Earth and would have immense implications for the hydrologic cycle and the evolution of the atmosphere on Mars. In order to address this question, we used topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and imaging data from the Mars Observer Camera (MOC). We also tested several alternative models proposed by previous workers (i.e., eolian, volcanic, mud7ows, glaciers, 7uvial/lacustrine) for the evolution of the Argyre basin. Based on our investigation we conclude that the Argyre basin went through a complex geologic history with several geologic processes contributing to its current appearance. Glacial and 7uvial/lacustrine processes in conjunction with eolian modi6cation were probably most important in the evolution of the interior of the Argyre basin. The Hesperian wrinkle ridged unit Hr was previously interpreted as volcanic in origin due to the occurrence of ridges. Based on our observations we conclude that ridges in Argyre Planitia are dissimilar to wrinkle ridges in other occurrences of unit Hr. The new data suggest that these are eskers and based on the occurrence of these esker-like features, we propose a model in which the 7oor of Argyre was covered by ice. There is evidence for areally signi6cant amounts of water having ponded in the Argyre basin in its past |
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