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Phyllosilicate Deposits in Shalbatana VallisShalbatana Vallis is an ancient river valley on Mars, the westernmost of the southern Chryse outflow channels. The geologic history of this area has significant implications for understanding Mars' hydrologic and climate history. The highland flood basalts are cut by large collapse depressions, multiple outflow channels, and chaotic terrain. An intravalley paleolake with a depth of over 400 m, in the 125 km diameter Orson Welles crater (Fig. 1) and the adjacent section of Shalbatana Vallis, was deduced from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography, evidence of shorelines and the occurrence of fan-delta deposits, including Gilbert-style deltas [1]. A number of CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) images with strong phyllosilicate signatures have been identified throughout the channel and nearby highlands (Fig. 1). A majority of the signatures are concentrated in areas exposed by impact cratering. Since such minerals can form by a variety of different geological processes, such as weathering, burial diagenesis, and hydrothermal alteration [2], the nature of the phyllosilicate deposits in the Shalbatana Vallis region may provide insights into the formation processes that took place and help to place constraints on the early aqueous activity in the region.
Document ID
20110004906
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wintzer, Anne E. (Arkansas Univ. Fayetteville, AR, United States)
Allen, Carlton C. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Oehler, Dorothy Z. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2011
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-22664
Meeting Information
Meeting: 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 3, 2011
End Date: March 11, 2011
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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