HiRISE and HRSC studies of the western Elysium Planitia region, Mars

Balme, M.; Gallagher, C.; Murray, J.; Page, D; Muller, J-P. and Kim, J-R. (2008). HiRISE and HRSC studies of the western Elysium Planitia region, Mars. In: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, 13-18 Apr 2008, Vienna, Austria.

Abstract

Low-lying, flat plains with distinctive platy morphologies in the Elysium and Amazonis Planitiae regions of Mars have been interpreted to be either flood lavas [e.g. 1,2] or the debris-covered remnants of a frozen sea [e.g. 3,4]. Discriminating between the two hypotheses on the basis of morphology is difficult, due to the lack of both very-high resolution imaging data, and regionally contiguous medium resolution imaging data. Now though, NASA HiRISE (High resolution Imaging Science Experiment) data with spatial resolutions of 25cm/pixel and ESA HRSC (High Resolution Stereo Camera) data with spatial resolution of 12.5m/pixel, but very large spatial coverage, are available. HiRISE data allow us not only to see the morphologies of the landforms in unprecedented detail, but they also allow more reliable interpretations of superposition relations, by which means geological as well as geomorphological tests can be applied. HRSC data allow a regional view, and can be used to map the spatial extents of individual flows and units over great distances. Here we present an update of our mapping and morphological studies in this region.

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