Origin of the Medusae Fossae Formation, Mars: Insights from a synoptic approach

The geologic origin of the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) has remained a mystery despite three decades of research. To better constrain its formation, an in-depth analysis of observations made in the literature was combined with a new survey of over 700 Mars Orbiter Camera narrow-angle images of the MFF to identify morphologic characteristics and material properties that define this formation as a whole. While previous work has identified clear agreement on some characteristics, our analysis identifies yardangs, collapse features, and layering as pervasive features of the MFF. Whereas collapse features and layering may implicate several different physical and chemical processes, yardangs provide vital information on material properties that inform about mechanical properties of the MFF lithology. Aspect ratios of megayardangs range from 3:1 to 50:1, and slope analyses reveal heights of up to 200 m with cliffs that are almost vertical. Other yardangs show lower aspect ratios and topographic profiles. These characteristics coupled to the presence of serrated margins, suggest that MFF lithology must be of weakly to heavily indurated material that lends itself to jointing. The characteristics and properties of the MFF are inconsistent with those of terrestrial pyroclastic fall deposits or loess, but are in common with large terrestrial ignimbrites, a hypothesis that explains all key observations with a single mechanism. Yardang fields developed in regionally extensive ignimbrite sheets in the central Andes display morphologic characteristics that correlate with degree of induration of the host lithology and suggest an origin by pyroclastic flow for the MFF.