Geologic history of the Claritas Rise, Tharsis, Mars

The Claritas Rise is the site of the oldest identified center of tectonic activity associated with the formation of the Tharsis Rise on Mars, the largest volcanic complex in the Solar System. Establishing the structural geochronology of the densely fractured region may offer clues into the nature of the incipience of the Tharsis Rise, including whether or not the province emerged as a result of mantle plume tectonics or two-plate tectonics. In this presentation, we will report on the outcome of a number of structural analyses, including (1) paleotectonic and (2) geologic mapping of the Claritas Rise at a 1:1M scale on high-resolution CTX data with a THEMIS Daytime IR basemap; (3) proxy examinations of crater deformation in the cases of (a) horizontal extension versus (b) simple shear; (4) experimental geomechanical work, especially within near-similar horizontal stress regimes; and (5) Dmax/Lavg analyses of CTX stereo DEMs in the mapping area in order to establish fault linkage relationships on the Rise.