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Geomorphology and volcanology of Maat Mons, Venus
•Three rift zones identified based on pit crater distribution on flanks.•Four types of lava flows identified.•No evidence for explosive volcanism.•Summit caldera potentially formed by ∼20 small volume (∼16km3) collapse events.•Structure of volcano unaffected by regional tectonics. Full-resolution (F...
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Published in: | Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2016-10, Vol.277, p.433-441 |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | •Three rift zones identified based on pit crater distribution on flanks.•Four types of lava flows identified.•No evidence for explosive volcanism.•Summit caldera potentially formed by ∼20 small volume (∼16km3) collapse events.•Structure of volcano unaffected by regional tectonics.
Full-resolution (FMIDR) Magellan radar backscatter images have been used to characterize the geology and volcanology of the volcano Maat Mons on Venus. This volcano has often been identified by remote sensing techniques as one of the volcanoes on the planet that could have been recently active, and is the highest volcano on Venus with a relief of ∼9km. The summit of Maat Mons is characterized by a caldera complex ∼26×30km in diameter with at least six remnant pit craters ∼10km in diameter preserved in the walls of the caldera, suggesting that multiple small volume (1km in diameter on the flanks. These pits appear to have formed by collapse with no effusive activity associated with their formation. No evidence for explosive volcanism can be identified, despite the (relatively) low atmospheric pressure (∼55bar) near the summit. There is also a lack of evidence for lava channels, deformation features within the caldera, and thrust faults on the flanks, indicating that the physical volcanology of Maat Mons is simpler than that of typical martian and terrestrial shield volcanoes. Preservation of fine-scale (3–4 pixels) structures within the pit craters and summit pits is consistent with geologically very recent activity, but no evidence for current activity can be identified. |
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ISSN: | 0019-1035 1090-2643 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.022 |