Plains and channels in the Lunae Planum—Chryse Planitia Region of Mars

Abstract

The Lunae Planum‐Chryse Planitia region provides the opportunity to study a sequence of channeling events and to determine their temporal and genetic relationships to plains units in the northern hemisphere of Mars. Two sets of small channels and four major channel systems can be divided into four periods of channeling by superposition and contact relationships to the plains. All of the channels are considered to have formed by water erosion. The first two channeling events occurred early in the history of this area and formed small, narrow channels within the old rugged terrain. These channel events were separated by deposition of a mantle unit. The small channels probably formed by runoff of surface water or by a sapping process. These channels preceded the emplacement of vast volcanic plains in both Lunae Planum and Chryse Planitia. Channels postdating the plains are Vedra, Maumee, Bahram, and Maja valles; the first three of these deposited a sedimentary unit on the western slope of Chryse Planitia that was eroded by Maja Vallis. These large‐scale channels were probably formed predominantly by catastrophic floods and may represent two periods of water release from Juventae Chasma. The origin of Bahram Vallis remains uncertain.