3-D VISUALIZATION OF CENTRAL VALLES MARINERIS INTERIOR DEPOSITS USING MGS DATASETS

Central Valles Marineris (VM) has within it interior deposits and layered materials that have been interpreted to be volcanic or lacustrine in origin. Also, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data has revealed significant concentrations of bulk crystalline hematite within VM. To facilitate the study of these deposits a GIS was created of the MGS datasets (Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA), Mars Orbital Camera (MOC), and TES) and a geologic map of central VM. MOLA data was compiled for VM to form a topographic base for MOC images. A photomosaic of MOC context images was then created and draped over the MOLA digital elevation model. High-resolution MOC images were added for greater detail. The TES hematite signatures in the area were likewise draped over the photomosaic. The final component of the VM GIS is a geologic map of central VM (Lucchitta, B.K. MTM-05072, 1999.) Preliminary analysis of the GIS has revealed a correlation between the hematite signatures and possible volcanic features found in the interior deposits. The hematite host rock also appears to have been emplaced between erosional episodes. Watershed analysis of the GIS is being done to characterize the flow of water/debris/volcanic materials and determine the nature of any lacustrine features.