A swarm of small shield volcanoes on Syria Planum, Mars

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Rita Baptista, Ana, Mangold, Nicolas, Ansan, Véronique, Baratoux, David, Lognonné, Philippe, I. Alves, Eduardo, A. Williams, David, Bleacher, Jacob, Masson, P, Neukum, Gerhard
• Other Authors: Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-IPG PARIS-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique UMR 6112 (LPG), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (UN UFR ST), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Dynamique terrestre et planétaire (DTP), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Département de géophysique spatiale et planétaire (DGSP (UMR_7096)), IPG PARIS-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centro de Geofı´sica, da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE), Arizona State University Tempe (ASU), Planetary Geodynamics Laboratory Greenbelt, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Freie Universität Berlin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01288569; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01288569/document; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01288569/file/jgre2945.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JE002945

International audience This study focuses on the volcanism in Syria Planum, located at the center of the Tharsis bulge at an altitude of 6 to 8 km above Mars datum. Syria Planum was previously recognized as a center for the tectonic activity of Tharsis, but not as a major locus for volcanic activity, despite its centrality over the bulge. Using high-resolution images from the high resolution stereo camera on Mars Express combined with Mars Observer Laser Altimeter data, we have characterized a volcanic system that reveals a number of very interesting aspects of Mars volcanism. We identified a swarm of tens of coalesced shallow volcanic edifices, typically 10–30 km diameter, 0.1–0.2 km high, and with slopes around 0.5°. These characteristics are similar to those of small shield volcanoes found in Iceland. In addition, an intermediate-sized volcano, which is the source of lava flows that extend over >200 km, is observed west of this shield swarm. Our study characterizes a previously unrecognized volcanic assemblage on Mars which appears to be much more developed than was documented before, in terms of morphology, inferred origin, and periodicity of eruption. The estimated lava flux of the Syria Planum volcanoes is of the same order as the lava flux of Tharsis Montes. These characteristics suggest that Syria Planum experienced a very specific style of volcanism, which we dated to the Hesperian period.