The Complicated Geologic Histories of Large Venusian Impact Craters

One of the more surprising discoveries from the Magellan imaging campaign was that the impact craters have a spatial distribution closely consistent with a random pattern. First impressions of most craters were that they are also well preserved. These observations led to an initial post-Magellan consensus that the planet is nearly geologically inactive and that activity rapidly ceased a few hundred million years ago. Early mapping efforts were mostly interpreted in terms of a rapid, linear, globally uniform stratigraphic evolution in the nature of volcanism and deformation. A number of challenges to this view have been made as detailed study of the Magellan data has progressed, and several researchers now advocate a more uniformitarian view of the planet. A valuable research tool has been topography derived from Magellan stereo imagery; it provides an order of magnitude improvement in horizontal resolution over the altimetry data (1 km vs. 10 km). Previous studies utilizing the stereo-derived topography have shown that impact craters with radar-dark floors (most of the population) are shallow and probably partially filled with post-impact lavas, and detailed mapping of Mead impact basin (the planet's largest impact structure) has revealed post-impact volcanic embayment. We have recently performed detailed photogeologic mapping, aided by stereo-derived topography, of several 50-100 km diameter impact craters. Most of these craters are not at the top of the stratigraphic column, and in some cases there is a complex, multi-event post-emplacement history. The combined histories of these craters are not consistent with a rapid cessation of geologic activity, and we are still synthesizing the individual histories to evaluate the hypothesis of a linear global stratigraphic evolution. Although the stereo-derived topography greatly aided interpretation, in many cases geologic contacts were ambiguous, individual volcanic flows could not be distinguished, source vents could not be resolved, and the nature of lineaments was unclear. Many of these features could be discerned with higher-resolution imagery and topography collected by instruments that are within the capabilities of potential future missions.