MAPPING OF THE ORSON WELLES SOUTHERN FEATURE, XANTHE TERRA, MARS

This study focuses on a linear feature located between the Orson Welles crater and the Ganges Chasma in the Xanthe Terra of Mars. Orson Welles is a crater that is no more than 3.5 Ga old, located at 0°, 314° with a diameter of 125 kilometers. Previous studies have found evidence of a lake in the Orson Welles crater that drained to the northeast through Shalbatana Vallis to the Chryse Planitia. The feature in this study is on the opposite side of the crater, extending ca. 280 kilometers south-southwest and 70 kilometers wide, and contains features such as scarps, landslide deposits, linear and barchan dunes, extensional and en echelon faults, grabens, and craters.

Data was collected using CTX and HiRISE images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to map small and medium scale features that provide insight into their formation. Mapping of geologic units and features was done on ArcMap 10.5.1.

Systematic observation found distinct geomorphic units along the scarp walls and small crater floors. These units are defined based on unique features such as boulder density, dune type, and sediment uniformity. Observations of various valleys within the linear feature, which range from 2 to 30 kilometers wide, found little evidence of fluvial processes, suggesting that the feature was formed by faulting. Future work will focus on models explaining the formation of this feature and the aeolian processes operating within it.