Topography, roughness, layering, and slope properties of the Medusae Fossae Formation from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) data
Seh. Sakimoto et al., Topography, roughness, layering, and slope properties of the Medusae Fossae Formation from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) data, J GEO R-PLA, 104(E10), 1999, pp. 24141-24154
The enigmatic Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) is one of the youngest surfici
al deposits on Mars. Previously proposed modes of origin include pyroclasti
c volcanism, eolian mantling, polar sedimentation, carbonate platform, and
paleoshorelines. In order to assess mapped member boundaries and constrain
likely origin processes we analyze five topographic transects from the Mars
Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) collected during the aerobraking hiatus orb
it period of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission together with several s
imultaneously acquired Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images to examine the regi
onal and local variations in the relief, slopes, vertical roughness, and re
lative elevations of mapped MFF members. We find that the members are not p
articularly flat or level but have average thicknesses of many hundreds of
meters and substantially more internal relief than previously thought. Loca
lly, the MFF members are sometimes distinguishable by slope, elevation, and
surface roughness characteristics, but no unique formation-wide characteri
stics are apparent in this analysis of the limited initial data. The relati
ve elevations of the mapped members are not consistent with undeformed plan
ar horizontal layers but may be consistent with layers draped over preexist
ing topography with subsequent partial removal. Analysis of the initial coi
ncident MOC and MOLA hiatus data suggests the possible presence of local la
yers, as well as the mislocation of at least a few MFF member and formation
boundaries. We conclude that carbonate and shoreline deposit origins are n
ot as well supported in the initial MGS data as they were in the Viking dat
a and that the MFF formation and member boundaries should be reexamined in
conjunction with the incoming new MGS data.