DEFORMATION OF INTERIOR LAYERED DEPOSITS (ILD) AND THEIR ASSOCIATED LANDFORMS IN WEST CANDOR CHASMA, MARS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TIMING OF ILD DEPOSITION

摘要

On Mars, interior layered deposits (ILD) provide evidence that water was oncestable at the surface of the planet and present in large quantities. In West CandorChasma, the ILD and their associated landforms record the depositional history of thechasma, and the deformation of those deposits provide insight into the stresses acting onthem and the chasma as a whole. The post ILD structural history of West Candor isinterpreted by analyzing the spatial relationships and orientation trends of structuralfeatures within the ILD. Therecording of stresses through brittle deformation of ILDsimplies that the ILD had been lithified before the stress was imposed.Based on the prominent orientation trends of deformation features, the orientationof the stress regime acting upon the ILD appears to be linked to the regime that initiallycreated the chasma-forming faults. An additional minor stress orientation was alsorevealed and may be related to large structures outside west Candor Chasma.The late depositional history of Ceti Mensa is herein investigated by examiningthe attributes and spatial relationship between unique corrugated, linear formations(CLF). The CLFs appear to be aeolian in origin but display clear indications of brittledeformation, indicating they have been Iithified. Evidence of lithification and the mineralcomposition of the surrounding material support the interpretation of circulating water inthe area.