Title: A unique volcanic field in Tharsis, Mars: Monogenetic cinder cones and lava flows as evidence for Hawaiian eruptions
Abstract: Introduction: Most volcanoes on Mars that have been studied so far seem to be basaltic shield volcanoes, which can be very large with diameters of hundreds of kilometers [e.g., 1] or much smaller with diameters of several kilometers only [2]. Few Viking Orbiter-based studies reported the possible existence of cinder cones [3,4] or stratovolcanoes [5-7], and only the advent of higher-resolution data led to the tentative interpretation of previously unknown edifices as cinder cones [8] or rootless cones [9]. The identification of cinder cones can constrain the nature of eruption processes and, indirectly, our understanding of the nature of parent magmas (e.g., volatile content). Here we report on our observation of a unique cluster of possible volcanic cones situated north of Biblis Patera in Tharsis (Fig. 1). To our knowledge, this is the first ever study of this unique volcanic field. We determine morphometric properties and compare them to terrestrial analogues, and we describe the morphology of the landforms in the volcanic field. Our results suggest that it was formed by Hawaiian-style eruptions.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
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