[meteorite-list] Battered Tharsis Tholus Volcano on Mars (Mars Express)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2011 16:31:12 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201111090031.pA90VCxe021324_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMIU8TWLUG_index_0.html

Battered Tharsis Tholus volcano on Mars
European Space Agency
8 November 2011

[Image}
The latest image released from Mars Express reveals a large extinct
volcano that has been battered and deformed over the aeons.
 
By Earthly standards, Tharsis Tholus is a giant, towering 8 km above the
surrounding terrain, with a base stretching over 155 x 125 km. Yet on
Mars, it is just an average-sized volcano. What marks it out as unusual
is its battered condition.

Shown here in images taken by the HRSC high-resolution stereo camera on
ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, the volcanic edifice has been marked by
dramatic events.

At least two large sections have collapsed around its eastern and
western flanks during its four-billion-year history and these
catastrophes are now visible as scarps up to several kilometres high.

The main feature of Tharsis Tholus is, however, the caldera in its centre.

It has an almost circular outline, about 32 x 34 km, and is ringed by
faults that have allowed the caldera floor to subside by as much as 2.7
km.
 

[Image}
Tharsis Tholus in context

It is thought that the volcano emptied its magma chamber during
eruptions and, as the lava ran out onto the surface, the chamber roof
was no longer able to support its own weight.

So, the volcano collapsed, forming the large caldera.

November is a busy month for Mars exploration: Russia and NASA both plan
launches this month.

Russia's Phobos-Soil (formerly known as Phobos-Grunt) is designed to
land on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, to collect samples, and
return them to Earth in 2014. It also carries the first Chinese
spacecraft to Mars, Yinghuo-1.

Mars Express HRSC digital elevation models of Phobos were used by
Russian scientists to assess the mission's potential landing sites and
ESA is also providing telecommunications support for both Phobos-Soil
and Yinghuo-1.

In return, the European scientific community will have access to data
obtained by both spacecraft.

NASA's mission is the Mars Science Laboratory, a large rover known as
Curiosity, with experiments designed to detect organic molecules - past
or present - on the Red Planet.

Also worth noting is the simulated Mars mission, Mars500, which ended on
Friday when the hatch was opened for the first time since June 2010. For
520 days, the international crew had been working in a simulated
spacecraft in Moscow.
 
[Image]
Tharsis Tholus in perspective
 
[Image[
Tharsis Tholus in perspective
 
[Image]
Tharsis Tholus in perspective
 
[Image]
Tharsis Tholus in perspective

[Image]
Tharsis Tholus in perspective
 
[Image]
Tharsis Tholis in high resolution
 
[Image]
Tharsis Tholus in 3D
Received on Tue 08 Nov 2011 07:31:12 PM PST