Tectonic evolution of Juventae Chasma, Mars, and the deformational and depositional structural attributes of the four major light-toned rock exposures therein

Sarkar, R.; Edgett, K. S.; Ghosh, Dibyendu; Porwal, Alok; Singh, Parminder

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.05.032

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…S1). Our study area in Juventae Chasma comprises a 30-km-wide by 70-km-long, 6-km-deep section along its south wall, away from the northern region of Juventae where trough development has been influenced by the formation of the outflow channel, Maja Vallis (Sarkar et al, 2019).…”

Section: Geologic Setting Of Valles Marinerismentioning

confidence: 99%

A record of syn-tectonic sedimentation revealed by perched alluvial fan deposits in Valles Marineris, Mars

Davis

Grindrod

Banham

et al. 2021

Geology

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On Mars, basins formed by tectonic processes are rare and mostly have unconstrained subsidence histories. One method for understanding this record of subsidence is through associated alluvial fans, which are sourced from uplifted areas and accumulate in downthrown basins. The source, morphology, and superposition of fan deposits can be used to reconstruct fault kinematics, the relative timing of accommodation space formation, and, in turn, the influence tectonic processes had on Martian fan formation. Here we use high-resolution orbital data sets to characterize sediment fan deposits associated with syn-tectonic sedimentation in two regions of the Valles Marineris canyons: Coprates Chasma and Juventae Chasma. These deposits comprise sediment fans on the current canyon floor and low-gradient surfaces perched several kilometers above the canyon floor. We interpret the low-gradient surfaces as remnant sediment fan deposits, which originally formed at the former canyon floor and have since been offset due to normal faulting. The preservation of vertically offset generations of sediment fan deposits supports a progressive, basinward migration of fault activity into the original hanging wall or repeat activity along a fault zone. Each episode of faulting was followed by a basinward shift in drainages, which led to fault-scarp degradation and formation of a new generation of fans. Multiple episodes of syn-tectonic sedimentation occurred during the evolution of the basins, with fluvial activity sporadically active. Our results demonstrate, for the first time on Mars, that depositional cyclicity was linked to tectonic deformation, possibly representative of regional processes throughout Valles Marineris.

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Section: Geologic Setting Of Valles Marinerismentioning

confidence: 99%

A record of syn-tectonic sedimentation revealed by perched alluvial fan deposits in Valles Marineris, Mars

Davis

Grindrod

Banham

et al. 2021

Geology

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“…Although aeolian activity dominates modern Mars and examples of ancient aeolian strata have been interpreted to occur at a variety of locations (e.g., Banham et al, 2018;Bourke & Viles, 2016;Edgar et al, 2012;Edgett & Blumberg, 1994;Milliken et al, 2014;Sarkar et al, 2019), aeolian sandstones remain difficult to identify in images acquired from orbit. Well-preserved plan-view exposures of aeolian sandstones are notoriously rare on Earth (Day & Kocurek, 2017) and may be similarly elusive on Mars.…”

Section: Ancient Aeolian Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Stratigraphy Preserving a Wet‐to‐Dry, Fluvio‐Lacustrine to Aeolian Transition Near Barth Crater, Arabia Terra, Mars

2019

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Ancient lacustrine and aeolian sediments have been separately identified in a variety of locations on Mars. In this work, we interpret the depositional history of Barth crater and its surrounding area in Arabia Terra where exposed geologic units preserve a record of lacustrine and aeolian interaction. Aeolian sandstone in the study area overlies lacustrine strata and is interbedded with easily eroded interdune deposits. The aeolian sandstone preserves dune strata with structures that indicate paleo‐sediment transport toward the northwest. The aeolian unit also preserves a transition up‐section from separated barchan dunes to continuous transverse dunes, capturing the development of the ancient dune field from sediment limited to sediment rich. Inverted fluvial channels provide evidence that water was delivered to the area at the same time the dune field was present, providing a simple mechanism, via wetting and cementation, for aeolian strata preservation. This example of wet‐system aeolian accumulation preserves an upward drying sequence in the sedimentary record that may have been coincident with the widely hypothesized global climate transition. The terrains described in this work provide a framework for interpreting similar aeolian units in elsewhere on Mars, even where cross‐strata cannot be easily resolved.

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“…Reconstructing what the ancient Martian landscape looked like and the surface processes that shaped it informs us about the planet’s geological evolution and paleoclimate history. Since 1999, exploration by Mars orbiters (Malin & Edgett, 2000; Milliken et al., 2014; Sarkar et al., 2019) and rovers (Banham et al., 2018; Dromart et al., 2021; Edgar et al., 2012; Grotzinger et al., 2005; Hayes et al., 2011; Metz et al., 2009; Squyres et al., 2009) has revealed evidence for ancient aeolian strata exposed at the planet’s surface, enabling the study of surface processes in the distant past using the assiduous application of knowledge developed through field studies on Earth. The purpose of this contribution is to reconstruct the morphology and landscape from a record of complex aeolian bedform assemblages in rocks exposed in Gale crater, Mars, using images of outcrops of a distinctive stratigraphic unit, informally known as the Stimson formation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

et al. 2021

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Lithified aeolian strata encode information about ancient planetary surface processes and the climate during deposition. Decoding these strata provides insight regarding past sediment transport processes, bedform kinematics, depositional landscape, and the prevailing climate. Deciphering these signatures requires a detailed analysis of sedimentary architecture to reconstruct dune morphology, motion, and the conditions that enabled their formation. Here, we show that a distinct sandstone unit exposed in the foothills of Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars, records the preserved expression of compound aeolian bedforms that accumulated in a large dune field. Analysis of Mastcam images of the Stimson formation shows that it consists of cross-stratified sandstone beds separated by a hierarchy of erosive bounding surfaces formed during dune migration. The presence of two orders of surfaces with distinct geometrical relations reveals that the Stimson-era landscape consisted of large dunes (draas) with smaller, superimposed dunes migrating across their lee slopes. Analysis of cross-lamination and subset bounding surface geometries indicate a complex wind regime that transported sediment toward the north, constructing oblique dunes. This dune field was a direct product of the regional climate and the surface processes active in Gale crater during the fraction of the Hesperian Period recorded by the Stimson formation. The environment was arid, supporting a large aeolian dune field; this setting contrasts with earlier humid depositional episodes, recorded by the lacustrine sediments of the Murray formation (also Hesperian). Such fine-scale reconstruction of landscapes on the ancient surface of Mars is important to understanding the planet's past climate and habitability.Plain Language Summary Sedimentary rocks formed from sediments transported and deposited by the wind provide valuable information about the ancient environment, such as climate, wind direction, and the types of desert landforms that were present. This study focuses on the windblown sediments, now sandstone, imaged using the Mastcam instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, at the Murray buttes inside Gale crater, between the 1383rd and 1455th Martian days (sols) of the mission. Analysis of the sedimentary structures in images shows that the Stimson formation at the Murray buttes was deposited by the wind in the form of compound sand dunes. These were large dunes with smaller dunes migrating across their surfaces. Analysis of the sedimentary structures generated by the complex interaction of these two scales of dune indicates that the large dunes migrated north, and that the smaller superimposed dunes migrated across the faces of the large dunes toward the northeast. The presence of large, wind-driven dunes indicates that the region was extremely arid, and that-at the time the Stimson dune field existed-the interior of Gale crater was devoid of surface water, unlike the setting recorded by the older, underlying lake sediments of the Murray f...

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Tectonic evolution of Juventae Chasma, Mars, and the deformational and depositional structural attributes of the four major light-toned rock exposures therein

Cited by 14 publications

References 59 publications

A record of syn-tectonic sedimentation revealed by perched alluvial fan deposits in Valles Marineris, Mars

A record of syn-tectonic sedimentation revealed by perched alluvial fan deposits in Valles Marineris, Mars

Ancient Stratigraphy Preserving a Wet‐to‐Dry, Fluvio‐Lacustrine to Aeolian Transition Near Barth Crater, Arabia Terra, Mars

A Rock Record of Complex Aeolian Bedforms in a Hesperian Desert Landscape: The Stimson Formation as Exposed in the Murray Buttes, Gale Crater, Mars

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