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A preliminary regional geomorphologic map in Utopia Planitia of the Tianwen-1 Zhurong Landing Region

September 15, 2021

A geomorphologic map is an important step to understanding the geologic context and history of a site; here, we present an initial geomorphologic map for an area spanning 22°–26°N, 108°–112°E in the Utopia Planitia (UP) region on Mars. This site is of special interest because it contains the May 2021 landing site of the Zhurong rover from Tianwen-1. Utopia Planitia exhibits many lobate features that have been proposed to be lava or mud flows. Lander and rover data should help solve the scientific question concerning the origin of UP flows. We use our map to generate an initial stratigraphic framework of geomorphological features in order to help place future Zhurong data into the regional geologic context. Our mapping effort has detailed the distribution of three geomorphologic units and 11 types of surface features.

Publication Year 2021
Title A preliminary regional geomorphologic map in Utopia Planitia of the Tianwen-1 Zhurong Landing Region
DOI 10.1029/2021GL094629
Authors Mackenzie M Mills, Alfred S. McEwen, Chris Okubo
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Geophysical Research Letters
Index ID 70225168
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Astrogeology Science Center