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Geologic map of the Athabasca Valles region, Mars

October 6, 2021

This 1:1,000,000-scale geologic map of the Athabasca Valles region of Mars places the best-preserved lavas on Mars into their geologic context. The map shows vigorous geologic activity in the most recent epoch of the geologic history of Mars, which is extremely unusual for the planet. In these atypically youthful terrains, the interpretations of geologic processes are exceptionally robust for planetary geologic mapping. The investigation relies heavily on images from the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context (CTX) cameras, which have sub-meter and sub-decameter spatial resolution, respectively. Geospatial fidelity is provided by the photogrammetrically controlled 100-meter-per-pixel map base derived from Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) daytime infrared image data. The individual HiRISE and CTX images are available through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Planetary Data System Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node (https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/).

Publication Year 2021
Title Geologic map of the Athabasca Valles region, Mars
DOI 10.3133/sim3477
Authors Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Alexandra E. Huff, Windy L. Jaeger
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Scientific Investigations Map
Series Number 3477
Index ID sim3477
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Astrogeology Science Center