HR: 1340h
AN: P23B-0190    [Abstracts]
TI: Volcanism and Fluvio-Glacial Processes on the Interior Layered Deposits of Valles Marineris, Mars?
AU: * Chapman, M G
EM: mchapman@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 United States
AB: The Interior Layered Deposits (ILDs) in Valles Marineris have been suggested to be possible sub-ice volcanoes. Recent images also show evidence of possible fluvio-glacial processes on the ILDs and hence volcano/ice/water interaction. For example, Mars Express Mission anaglyph from Orbit 334 of central Ophir and Candor Chasmata, THEMIS image V10551002, and MOC images E1700142 and E190020 show 2 ILD mounds in central Candor Chasma that have been sheared off at approximately equal elevations by some material that has been subsequently removed. Level shearing of ILD rock materials and subsequent removal of the abrasive material, suggest ice erosion and glacial processes because glacial ice is mobile enough to grind the rock and can melt away. Another adjacent ILD mound in Central Candor shows an abrupt flank termination and damming of material, rather than flank scour. The dammed material appears to be layers piled up in a ridge at the ILD base. This relation is observed on the HRSC anaglyph and MOC images E0101343 and E201146. Another ILD in Melas Chasma, seen on MOC image M0804981, shows lobes of flank material that terminate along a lineation; possibly suggesting lobe confinement against subsequently removed material. This morphology can also be observed on the flank of the Gangis Chasma ILD in MOC image M0705587. A possible terrestrial volcanic analog for this ILD flank morphology is the Helgafell hyaloclasitic ridge (tindar) in Iceland (Chapman et al., 2004), the eastern flank of which has a linear termination interpreted as largely unmodified and caused by hyalotuff material banked against a former ice wall that has since melted away (Schopka et al., 2003). Glacial shearing of some ILDs and confined banking of other ILDs suggest that these mounds formed at different times, as the sheared ILD likely predated ice and the confined ILD may have formed concurrently with ice. Alternatively, the banking may have been due to lack of shear forces (static ice) and confined post-depositional avalanche deposits. However, exposed in the banked cliff faces are near horizontal bedding planes that can be traced upslope into angled flank layers; a relation that may suggest ice concurrent with volcanic ILD formation (Chapman and Smellie, in press). In addition to glacial processes, many Mars ILDs show fluvial gullies cut into mostly low lying flank deposits. Gullies are eroded into all sides of the ILDs including their north-facing slopes, so solar heating likely did not generate the gullies. Although formal work on the subject is lacking, ongoing terrestrial observation by the author (on an edifice north of Helgafell and in Gj lp eruption films) indicate fluvial erosion of subglacial volcanoes on Earth may be concurrent with their formation, occurring after edifices rise above their surrounding ice-confined meltwater lake. Remnant ice on the top of the edifices can melt to generate streams that erode the growing volcanic flanks.
DE: 5422 Ices
DE: 5480 Volcanism (6063, 8148, 8450)
DE: 8148 Planetary volcanism (5480, 8450)
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005