Elysium Planitia

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Elysium Planitia is the second largest volcanic region on Mars, after Tharsis Montes. It includes volcanoes, from north to south, Hecates Tholus, Elysium Mons and Albor Tholus.

A 2005 photo of Elysium Planitia by the Mars Express spacecraft shows what may be ash-covered water ice. The volume of ice is estimated to be 800 by 900 kilometers in size and 45 meters deep, similar in size and depth to the North Sea.[1] The ice is thought to be the remains of water floods and lava flows in the Cerberus Fossae fisures about 2 to 10 million years ago. The surface of the area is broen into 'plates' like broken ice floating on a lake. Impact crater counts show that the plates are up to 1 million years older than the gap material, showing that the area solidified much too slowly for the material to be basaltic lava. [2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Young, Kelly. "'Pack ice' suggests frozen sea on Mars", New Scientist, February 25, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-30-01.
  2. ^ John B. Murray et al. (17 March 2007). "Evidence ... for a frozen sea close to Mars' equator". Nature 434: 352-355. 

[edit] External link


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