Tyrrhena Terra, an area in the cratered highlands South of the Martian equator, contains two unnamed craters.The mineralogical composition of light-toned deposits (LTDs) within these craters is unknown. We performed morphologic and morphometric analyses of the surfaces of these LTDs through an integrated study of images available through the Reconnaissance Mars OrbiterHigh-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. Our analysis revealed that the Martian landforms contain dolines of polygenetic origin. These dolines are similar to karst landforms observed indifferent karst terrains on Earth and other regions on Mars.The observed karst landforms might highlight the possible evaporiticorigin of these materials, suggesting a climatic change and the presence of liquid water caused by ice melting during the Amazonian age.
Possible karst landforms in two unnamed craters in Tyrrhena Terra, Mars
BAIONI, DAVIDE;TRAMONTANA, MARIO
2016
Abstract
Tyrrhena Terra, an area in the cratered highlands South of the Martian equator, contains two unnamed craters.The mineralogical composition of light-toned deposits (LTDs) within these craters is unknown. We performed morphologic and morphometric analyses of the surfaces of these LTDs through an integrated study of images available through the Reconnaissance Mars OrbiterHigh-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. Our analysis revealed that the Martian landforms contain dolines of polygenetic origin. These dolines are similar to karst landforms observed indifferent karst terrains on Earth and other regions on Mars.The observed karst landforms might highlight the possible evaporiticorigin of these materials, suggesting a climatic change and the presence of liquid water caused by ice melting during the Amazonian age.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
