Evidence for recent volcanism on Mars from crater counts

被引:150
作者
Hartmann, WK [1 ]
Malin, M
McEwen, A
Carr, M
Soderblom, L
Thomas, P
Danielson, E
James, P
Veverka, J
机构
[1] Planetary Sci Inst, Tucson, AZ 85705 USA
[2] Malin Space Sci Syst, San Diego, CA 92191 USA
[3] Univ Arizona, Lunar & Planetary Lab, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
[4] US Geol Survey, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA
[5] US Geol Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA
[6] Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
[7] CALTECH, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
[8] Univ Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1038/17545
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
Impact craters help characterize the age of a planetary surface, because they accumulate with time. They also provide useful constraints on the importance of surface erosion, as such processes will preferentially remove the smaller craters. Earlier studies of martian crater populations revealed that erosion and dust deposition are important processes on Mars(1-6). They disagreed, however, on the age of the youngest volcanism(7,8). These earlier studies were limited by image resolution to craters larger than a few hundred metres in diameter. Here we report an analysis, using new images obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, of crater populations that extend the size distribution down to about 16 m. Our results indicate a wide range of surface ages, with one region-lava flows within the Arsia Mons caldera-that we estimate to be no older than 40-100 million years. We suggest that volcanism is a continuing process on Mars.
引用
收藏
页码:586 / 589
页数:4
相关论文
共 20 条
[1]  
Binder A. B., 1977, Journal of Geophysical Research, V82, P4439, DOI 10.1029/JS082i028p04439
[2]  
Carr M.H, 1980, SPEC PUBL NASA, V441
[3]   CRATERING ON MARS .1. CRATERING AND OBLITERATION HISTORY [J].
CHAPMAN, CR .
ICARUS, 1974, 22 (03) :272-291
[4]  
CHAPMAN CR, 1968, 268 SMITHS ASTR OBS
[5]  
CINALA MJ, 1977, IMPACT EXPLOSION CRA, P575
[6]  
GAULT DE, 1970, EOS T AM GEOPHYS UN, V51, P343
[7]  
Hartmann W.K., 1981, BASALTIC VOLCANISM T, P1050
[8]   PLANETARY CRATERING .1. THE QUESTION OF MULTIPLE IMPACTOR POPULATIONS - LUNAR EVIDENCE [J].
HARTMANN, WK .
METEORITICS, 1995, 30 (04) :451-467
[9]   MARTIAN CRATERING [J].
HARTMANN, WK .
ICARUS, 1966, 5 (06) :565-&
[10]   MARTIAN CRATERING .3. THEORY OF CRATER OBLITERATION [J].
HARTMANN, WK .
ICARUS, 1971, 15 (03) :410-&