CaltechAUTHORS
Published March 30, 2001 | Version public
Journal Article Metadata-only

Ancient Geodynamics and Global-Scale Hydrology on Mars

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Washington University in St. Louis
  • 2. ROR icon Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • 3. ROR icon Goddard Space Flight Center
  • 4. ROR icon Carnegie Institution for Science
  • 5. ROR icon Jet Propulsion Lab
  • 6. ROR icon Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Abstract

Loading of the lithosphere of Mars by the Tharsis rise explains much of the global shape and long-wavelength gravity field of the planet, including a ring of negative gravity anomalies and a topographic trough around Tharsis, as well as gravity anomaly and topographic highs centered in Arabia Terra and extending northward toward Utopia. The Tharsis-induced trough and antipodal high were largely in place by the end of the Noachian Epoch and exerted control on the location and orientation of valley networks. The release of carbon dioxide and water accompanying the emplacement of ∼3 × 10^8 cubic kilometers of Tharsis magmas may have sustained a warmer climate than at present, enabling the formation of ancient valley networks and fluvial landscape denudation in and adjacent to the large-scale trough.

Additional Information

© 2001 American Association for the Advancement of Science. 29 December 2000; accepted 2 March 2001; Published online 15 March 2001. We thank the MGS Radio Science and the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) investigations, which are supported by the NASA Mars Exploration Program.

Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
38021
DOI
10.1126/science.1058701
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20130418-104625985

Related works

Describes
10.1126/science.1058701 (DOI)

Funding

NASA

Dates

Created
2013-04-18
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Updated
2023-03-07
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