Characterization of fluvial activity in Parana Valles using different age-dating techniques
被引:23
作者:
Bouley, S.
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Univ Paris 11, IDES, UMR8148, F-91405 Orsay, France
Smithsonian Inst, Natl Air & Space Museum, Ctr Earth & Planetary Studies, Washington, DC 20560 USA
Univ Nantes, LPG Nantes, UMR6112, CNRS, F-44322 Nantes, FranceUniv Paris 11, IDES, UMR8148, F-91405 Orsay, France
Bouley, S.
[1
,2
,3
]
Craddock, R. A.
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Smithsonian Inst, Natl Air & Space Museum, Ctr Earth & Planetary Studies, Washington, DC 20560 USAUniv Paris 11, IDES, UMR8148, F-91405 Orsay, France
Craddock, R. A.
[2
]
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Mangold, N.
[3
]
Ansan, V.
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h-index: 0
机构:
Univ Nantes, LPG Nantes, UMR6112, CNRS, F-44322 Nantes, FranceUniv Paris 11, IDES, UMR8148, F-91405 Orsay, France
Ansan, V.
[3
]
机构:
[1] Univ Paris 11, IDES, UMR8148, F-91405 Orsay, France
[2] Smithsonian Inst, Natl Air & Space Museum, Ctr Earth & Planetary Studies, Washington, DC 20560 USA
[3] Univ Nantes, LPG Nantes, UMR6112, CNRS, F-44322 Nantes, France
Martian valley networks provide the best evidence that the climate on Mars was different in the past. Although these features are located primarily in heavily cratered terrain of Noachian age (>3.7 Ga), the ages of the features and the time when they were active is not well understood. From superposed craters several recent global studies determined that most valley networks formed during the Late Noachian to Early Hesperian; however, there were some disparities between the techniques. In this study, our principal objective was to test the reliability of the different age-dating techniques to better understand their accuracy and limitations. We applied these techniques to Parana Valles using a variety of high-resolution images taken from different instruments that allow us to identify smaller craters (D > 125 m) while providing sufficient coverage to support a statistically reliable sampling of crater populations, which is necessary to reduce the uncertainties in age determination. Our results indicate that Parana Valles formed during the Early Hesperian Period but that the crater density (D > 353 m) is heterogeneous inside the Parana Valles basin. The crater population decreases from the headwaters downstream recording a resurfacing event that is most likely related to the erosion of downstream sub-basins. The terrain near the source area is Late Noachian to Early Hesperian in age while terrains closer to the outlet are Early to Late Hesperian in age. Crater densities (D > 125 m) inside the valley are also heterogeneous and record several resurfacing events on the valley floor. Where the width of the valley network narrows to <2 km we found evidence of an Amazonian age eolian deposit that is a relatively thin layer of only few meters that was probably deposited as a result of topographic influences. Our results validate the reliability of several proposed age-dating techniques, but we also determined the accuracy and applicability of these techniques. Our results also demonstrate that crater populations can be used to not only determine the relative ages of valley networks, but also to map the distribution of sedimentary materials and the extent of resurfacing events that occurred after valley network formation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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页码:686 / 698
页数:13
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Univ Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
Barnhart, Charles J.
Howard, Alan D.
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Univ Virginia, Dept Environm Sci, Charlottesville, VA 22904 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
Howard, Alan D.
Moore, Jeffrey M.
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NASA, Ames Res Ctr, Div Space Sci, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
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Univ Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
Barnhart, Charles J.
Howard, Alan D.
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Univ Virginia, Dept Environm Sci, Charlottesville, VA 22904 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
Howard, Alan D.
Moore, Jeffrey M.
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NASA, Ames Res Ctr, Div Space Sci, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USAUniv Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA