THE FORMATION OF FLUVIAL CHANNELS ON ALBA MONS, MARS

Fluvial channels are present on the central edifice and flanks of Alba Mons along steeply sloped portions of the volcano. These fluvial channels are embayed by younger lava flows and disrupted by graben, indicating they formed while the volcano was still active. The purpose of this study is to determine what meltwater channel morphology and distribution on Alba Mons indicate about volcano-ice interactions when the volcano was active. This study involves mapping fluvial channels around Alba Mons, followed by a detailed geomorphologic investigation of an individual well-defined drainage network using high resolution images to quantitatively relate channel morphology to formation processes and environmental conditions during volcanic activity. Such relations include estimates of material volume removed by fluvial processes, cumulative volume of water required to remove the identified volume of bedrock, material properties of the bedrock, and sources of water. Channel networks and drainage basins on the northern side of the volcano are numerous and well-defined, allowing for high-resolution 2D and 3D analysis. Channel mapping has revealed a distinct asymmetry in the distribution of channels, as well as spatial variation in network geometry. We will present photogeologic and morphologic interpretations to address these spatial patterns and the timing of processes in this region.