Main Fault Tectonics of Meshkenet Tessera on Venus

The lengthy Meshkenet Tessera highland located between Ishtar Terra and coronae of the Nightingale group provides evidence of large-scale crustal movements. Its complex tectonic structures have various deformation geometries, thus indicating different tectonic sequences. The main parallel faults, first explained as rotational bookshelf faults, are more likely due to relative dextral direct shear movements of rectangular blocks. These faults have been active, possibly due to endogenic stresses, as indicated by mid-size ridge ranges which connect them to some of the large coronae. There are some compressional ridge belts around Meshkenet Tessera, while deformation within the tessera blocks has mostly been extensional.