Abstract
Volcanic-aeolian interactions and processes have played a vital role in landscape evolution on Mars. Martian lava fields and associated caves have extensive geomorphological, astrobiological, and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) implications for future Mars missions which might be focused on subsurface exploration. Although several possible cave “skylights” of tens to >100 m diameter have been spotted in lava fields of Mars, there is a possibility of prevalence of meter-scale features which are an order of magnitude smaller and difficult to identify but could have vital significance from the scientific and future exploration perspectives. The Icelandic volcanic-aeolian environment and fissure volcanoes can serve as analogs to study lava flow-related small caves such as surface tubes, inflationary caves, liftup caves, and conduits. In the present work, we have tried to explore the usability of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived images for characterizing a solidified lava flow and designing a sequential methodology to identify small caves in the lava flow. In the mapped area of ~0.33 km2, we were able to identify 81 small cave openings, five lava flow morphologies, and five small cave types using 2 cm/pixel high-resolution images. The results display the usefulness of UAV imaging for such analogous research, and also highlight the possibility of the widespread presence of similar small cave openings in Martian lava fields. Such small openings can facilitate optimal air circulation within the caves while sheltering the insides from physical weathering and harmful radiations. Using the available best resolution remote sensing images, we extend the analogy through the contextual and geomorphological analysis of several possible pit craters in the Tharsis region of Mars, in a region of extremely vesicular and fragile lava crust with pahoehoe-type morphology. We report two possible pit craters in this region, with diameters as small as ~20 m. The possibility that such small cave openings can lead to vast subterranean hollow spaces on Mars cannot be ruled out considering its low gravity.
Highlights
Subsurface environments on Mars are expected to provide shielding from space radiation with controlled diurnal temperature variations [1,2]
We investigated a part of an Icelandic lava flow as a Mars analog environment, by performing a dedicated remote-sensing-based characterization of possible small-cave openings in Leirhnjúkur fissure volcano lava fields
One might argue that probably the Hawaiian lava fields would have been a better analog as those are bigger than the Leirhnjúkur fissure volcano lava fields and are closer to the shield volcanoes like the ones in Tharsis on Mars
Summary
Subsurface environments on Mars are expected to provide shielding from space radiation with controlled diurnal temperature variations [1,2]. Caves demonstrate a moderate diurnal thermal range and a steadier seasonal regime of temperatures than on the open surface environments They are well-protected from physicochemical decay triggered by fluvio-aeolian processes and strong fluxes of high intensity ultraviolet, cosmic, and solar ionizing radiations [9]. Subsurface caves such as lava tubes, piping caves, and sub-ice volcanic caves may provide options to perform profiling of paleogeology, paleoclimate, astrobiology, and mineralogy from surface to tens or hundreds of meters subsurface [9]. Having access to this subsurface environment through the natural cave openings could facilitate the easier implementation of any future Mars subsurface exploration program
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