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Evolution of Pyrrhae Fossae, Mars: an explication from the age estimation using the Buffered Crater Counting technique


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700 073, India; Department of Geology, Asutosh College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700 026, India
2 Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
3 Department of Geology, Asutosh College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700 026, India
4 Department of Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700 073, India
5 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
 

Pyrrhae Fossae (PyFo) on Mars is a palaeo-extensional tectonic feature preserved within a Noachian basement in the north-western Noachis Terra (NT). We have tried to understand the possible origin of the stress responsible for the evolution of these tectonic structures and to correlate their formation with other global Martian events. We estimated the absolute model age of PyFo, using the Buffered Crater Counting (BCC) technique, which indicates that these extensional structures were formed at ~3.79 Ga, after the basement formation at ~3.98 Ga. Considering the ages and geology of the terrains adjoining the PyFo region, we propose that the regional scale flexural bending was promoted either in response to Tharsis-related volcano-tectonic load or thinning of northern lowlands producing extension at the upper crustal level, generating these fossae at the early stage of Martian evolution.

Keywords

Buffered Crater Counting, extension, flexure, Noachis Terra, Pyrrhae Fossae
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  • Evolution of Pyrrhae Fossae, Mars: an explication from the age estimation using the Buffered Crater Counting technique

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Authors

Keyur De
Department of Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700 073, India; Department of Geology, Asutosh College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700 026, India
Trishit Ruj
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
Abhik Kundu
Department of Geology, Asutosh College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700 026, India
Nilanjan Dasgupta
Department of Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700 073, India
Kenji Kawai
Department of Earth and Planetary Science, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

Abstract


Pyrrhae Fossae (PyFo) on Mars is a palaeo-extensional tectonic feature preserved within a Noachian basement in the north-western Noachis Terra (NT). We have tried to understand the possible origin of the stress responsible for the evolution of these tectonic structures and to correlate their formation with other global Martian events. We estimated the absolute model age of PyFo, using the Buffered Crater Counting (BCC) technique, which indicates that these extensional structures were formed at ~3.79 Ga, after the basement formation at ~3.98 Ga. Considering the ages and geology of the terrains adjoining the PyFo region, we propose that the regional scale flexural bending was promoted either in response to Tharsis-related volcano-tectonic load or thinning of northern lowlands producing extension at the upper crustal level, generating these fossae at the early stage of Martian evolution.

Keywords


Buffered Crater Counting, extension, flexure, Noachis Terra, Pyrrhae Fossae

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv121%2Fi7%2F906-911