![PIA00174-MC-14-AmenthesRegion-19980605](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/PIA00174-MC-14-AmenthesRegion-19980605.jpg)
The Amenthes
quadrangle is one of a series of
30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
(USGS)
Astrogeology Research Program
The Astrogeology Science Center is the entity within the United States Geological Survey concerned with the study of planetary geology and planetary cartography. It is housed in the Shoemaker Building in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Center was establ ...
. The Amenthes quadrangle is also referred to as MC-14 (Mars Chart-14). The quadrangle covers the area from 225° to 270° west longitude and from 0° to 30° north latitude on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
. Amenthes quadrangle contains parts of
Utopia Planitia
Utopia Planitia (Greek and Latin: "Nowhere Land Plain") is a large plain within Utopia, the largest recognized impact basin on Mars and in the Solar System with an estimated diameter of . It is the Martian region where the ''Viking 2'' lander to ...
,
Isidis Planitia
Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately in diameter, it is the third-largest obvious impact structure on the ...
,
Terra Cimmeria
Terra Cimmeria is a large Martian region, centered at and covering at its broadest extent. It covers latitudes 15 N to 75 S and longitudes 170 to 260 W. It lies in the Eridania quadrangle. Terra Cimmeria is one part of the heavily cratered, ...
, and
Tyrrhena Terra.
The name Amenthes is the Egyptian word for the place where the souls of the dead go.
This quadrangle contains the
Isidis basin
Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately in diameter, it is the third-largest obvious impact structure on the ...
, a location where
magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate, (archaic name magnesia alba), is an inorganic salt that is a colourless or white solid. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals.
Forms
The most common magnesium carbonate forms are ...
was found by
MRO. This mineral indicates that water was present and that it was not acidic. There are
Dark slope streaks
Dark slope streaks are narrow, avalanche-like features common on dust-covered slopes in the equatorial regions of Mars.Chuang, F.C.; Beyer, R.A.; Bridges, N.T. (2010). Modification of Martian Slope Streaks by Eolian Processes. ''Icarus,'' 205 154 ...
, troughs (fossae), and river valleys (
Vallis) in this quadrangle.
The
Beagle 2
The ''Beagle 2'' is an inoperative British Mars lander that was transported by the European Space Agency's 2003 ''Mars Express'' mission. It was intended to conduct an astrobiology mission that would have looked for evidence of past life on Mar ...
lander was about to land in the quadrangle, particularly in the eastern part of
Isidis Planitia
Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately in diameter, it is the third-largest obvious impact structure on the ...
, in December 2003, when contact with the craft was lost. In January 2015, NASA reported the Beagle 2 had been found on the surface in Isidis Planitia (location is about ).
High-resolution images captured by the
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
identified the lost probe, which appears to be intact.
(
see discovery images here)
Craters
Some craters in the Amenthes region (as well as other parts of Mars) show ejecta around them that have lobes. It is believed that the lobed shape is caused by an impact into water or ice logged ground. Calculations suggest that ice is stable beneath the Martian surface.
At the equator the stable layer of ice might lie under as much as 1 kilometer of material, but at higher latitudes the ice may be just a few centimeters below the surface. This was proven when the landing rockets on the
Phoenix lander
''Phoenix'' was an uncrewed space probe that landed on the surface of Mars on May 25, 2008, and operated until November 2, 2008. ''Phoenix'' was operational on Mars for Timekeeping on Mars#Sols, sols ( days). Its instruments were used to asse ...
blew away surface dust to reveal an ice surface. The larger an impact crater, the deeper its penetration, a large crater is more likely to have a lobate ejecta since it went down to the ice layer. When even small craters have lobes, the ice level is close to the surface. This idea would be very important for future colonists on Mars who would like to live near a source of water.
Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits.
Sometimes craters will display layers. Since the collision that produces a crater is like a powerful explosion, rocks from deep underground are tossed unto the surface. Hence, craters can show us what lies deep under the surface. One crater in the Amenthes quadrangle is believed to be a source of
nakhlite
Nakhlites are a group of Martian meteorites, named after the first one, Nakhla meteorite.
Nakhlites are igneous rocks that are rich in augite and were formed from basaltic magma about 1.3 billion years ago. They contain augite and olivine crysta ...
meteorites
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object en ...
. A team of researchers found that these particular meteorites came from four different eruptions of lava because they showed different ages. The ages were measured by comparing
isotope
Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers (mass numbers) ...
s of the element
Argon
Argon is a chemical element with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third-most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice as abu ...
. Since the ages vary from 93 to 1322 million years, the authors concluded that
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
es grow much more slowly on Mars than the Earth. Many of the volcanoes on the Earth grow much quicker, as they form at plate boundaries. In contrast, Martian volcanoes probably form from plumes.
Image:Escalante Crater Wall.JPG, Escalante Crater
Escalante Crater is an impact crater in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars. It is located at
0.2° N and 244.7° W. It is in diameter, and was named after Mexican astronomer (c. 1930) .
Wikiescalante.jpg, CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbi ...
wall, as seen by HiRISE
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction o ...
Image on left is an enlargement.
Image:Onon Crater.JPG, Onon Crater
Onon may refer to:
* Onon (river), river in Mongolia and Russia
* Onon, Khentii Onon (, altitude 1,031 m, time zone UTC+8) is a town in the Khentii Province of Mongolia, situated at the upper Onon River
The Onon (, ''Onon gol''; ) is a riv ...
, as seen by HiRISE. Scale bar is 500 meters long.
Image:Libya Montes Region.JPG, Libya Montes Region, as seen by HiRISE Image contains some sheer rock cliffs.
Wikidumartheraywest.jpg, Western side of Du Martheray Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
).
ESP 046046 2095craterandejecta.jpg, Crater and ejecta, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program HiWish is a program created by NASA so that anyone can suggest a place for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to photograph. It was started in January 2010. In the first few months of the program 3000 people signed up to use HiRIS ...
46046 2095crater.jpg, Close view of crater and ejecta, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46046 2095craterclose.jpg, Close view of crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46046 2095craterejecta.jpg, Close view of crater ejecta, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
File:ESP 054551 2030craterlayers.jpg, Close view of layers in crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
File:ESP 057017 1975craterrim.jpg, Rocks at crater rim, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Hebrus Valles
The Hebrus Valles are an ancient system of troughs and valleys in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars, located at 20.2° north latitude and 233.4° west longitude. They are 317 km long and were named after a river in the Balkans which runs throu ...
Hebrus Vales has tributaries, terraces, and teardrop shaped islands. The tear drop shape of the islands indicate what direction the water used to flow. The terraces may be caused by different layers of rocks or from the water being at different levels.
These features are common for the rivers of the Earth.
Image:Hebrus Valles.JPG, Hebrus Valles
The Hebrus Valles are an ancient system of troughs and valleys in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars, located at 20.2° north latitude and 233.4° west longitude. They are 317 km long and were named after a river in the Balkans which runs throu ...
, as seen by THEMIS
In Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Themis (; grc, Θέμις, Themis, justice, law, custom) is one of the twelve Titans, Titan children of Gaia and Uranus (mythology), Uranus, and the second wife of Zeus. She is the godde ...
. Direction of flow was determined by shape of streamlined islands. Terraces may have been due to separate flood events.
Image:Hebrus Valles from Themis.JPG, Hebrus Valles, as seen from Themis. Since discontinuous pits and troughs are present, collapse of material into a void may have caused the troughs.
Streamlined shapes
Streamlined shapes are formed from erosion by flowing water.
ESP 045860 2085streamlined.jpg, Wide view of streamlined shapes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 045860 2085streamlinedbottom.jpg, Close view of streamlined shapes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Arrow indicates the direction of past flowing water.
ESP 045860 2085streamlinedmiddle.jpg, Close view of streamlined shapes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 045860 2085streamlinedtop.jpg, Close view of streamlined shapes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 045860 2085streamlineduppertop.jpg, Close view of streamlined shapes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
45860 2085close.jpg, Close view of streamlined shape, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
File:ESP 054800 2075streamlined.jpg, Streamlined shapes formed by flowing water, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Cones
ESP 048023 2040conestroughs.jpg, Wide view of cones and trough, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
48023 2040coneclose.jpg, Cone next to a trough, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish
ESP 048050 2025cones.jpg, Cones, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish
Image:ESP 035008 2010cones.jpg, Line of cones, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 049975 2045cones.jpg, Cones, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program White arrows point to some of the cones.
49975 2045cones.jpg, Close view of cones, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
File:570770 2100cones.jpg, Close view of cones, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Mesas
Mesas form when erosion has removed much of the surrounding ground. They are the remains of material that once covered a wide area.
ESP 050858 2025mesa.jpg, Layered mesa that appears to have a streamlined shape, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program A channel has cut through a lower layer.
ESP 044832 2035mesa.jpg, Layered mesa, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Fossae
The Amenthes quadrangle is also home to troughs (long narrow depressions) called fossae in the geographical language used for Mars. These troughs form when the crust is stretched until it breaks. The stretching can be due to the large weight of a nearby volcano.
Image:ESP_024921fan.jpg, Wall of trough of Amenthes Fossae
The Amenthes Fossae are a system of troughs in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars centered at 9.07°N and 102.68°E. They are 850 km across and were named after a classical albedo feature. The classical albedo feature name was based on the Eg ...
, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program HiWish is a program created by NASA so that anyone can suggest a place for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to photograph. It was started in January 2010. In the first few months of the program 3000 people signed up to use HiRIS ...
.
Image:ESP 036801 2015amenthespits.jpg, Large pits, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Image:ESP 036023 2025amenthestroughtop.jpg, Trough, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Image:Hephaestus Fossae Two Vews.JPG, Hephaestus Fossae
The Hephaestus Fossae are a system of troughs and channels in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars, with a location centered at 21.1 N and 237.5 W. They are 604 km long and were named after a classical albedo feature name. The fossae have been te ...
Two Views, as seen by HiRISE. Picture on right lies to the top (north) of other picture. Fossa (geology)
In planetary nomenclature, a fossa (pl. fossae ) is a long, narrow depression (trough) on the surface of an extraterrestrial body, such as a planet or moon. The term, which means "ditch" or "trench" in Latin, is not a geological term as such bu ...
often form by material moving into an underground void.
ESP 051781 2035troughs.jpg, Troughs, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
File:ESP 057834 2005troughmesa.jpg, Troughs cutting through mesa, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Channels
File:ESP 057241 1825channels.jpg, Group of channels, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Image:Granicus Vallis Tributary.JPG, Granicus Vallis Tributary, as seen by HiRISE.
ESP 046586 2035ejectachannel.jpg, Channel along edge of crater ejecta, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Arrows show channel.
File:ESP 054775 1825channels.jpg, Channels, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
Other landscape features in Amenthes quadrangle
Image:Amenthes map.JPG, Map of Amenthes quadrangle. The northwest part includes Isidis Planitia
Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately in diameter, it is the third-largest obvious impact structure on the ...
. Escalante Crater
Escalante Crater is an impact crater in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars. It is located at
0.2° N and 244.7° W. It is in diameter, and was named after Mexican astronomer (c. 1930) .
Wikiescalante.jpg, CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbi ...
is near the equator.
Image:Lobate ejecta in Amenthes.JPG, Lobate ejecta in Amenthes. Large crater has lobate ejecta, smaller craters do not show such ejecta since the ice layer was not penetrated by the smaller impacts.
Image:Amenthes Fossae Region.JPG, Amenthes Fossae Region, as seen by HiRISE.
Image:Tinjar Vallis.JPG, Tinjar Vallis, as seen by THEMIS. Color is enhanced to show differences.
Image:Scamander Vallis.JPG, Scamander Vallis
Scamander Vallis is an ancient river valley in the Arabia quadrangle of Mars, located at 16 North and 331.5 West. It is 204 km long and was named after an ancient name of a river in Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite ...
. Dark Slope Streaks
Dark slope streaks are narrow, avalanche-like features common on dust-covered slopes in the equatorial regions of Mars.Chuang, F.C.; Beyer, R.A.; Bridges, N.T. (2010). Modification of Martian Slope Streaks by Eolian Processes. ''Icarus,'' 205 154 ...
may be seen in the image. The darker the streak, the younger it is.
Other Mars quadrangles
Interactive Mars map
See also
*
Climate of Mars
The climate of Mars has been a topic of scientific curiosity for centuries, in part because it is the only terrestrial planet whose surface can be directly observed in detail from the Earth with help from a telescope.
Although Mars is smaller t ...
*
Dark slope streaks
Dark slope streaks are narrow, avalanche-like features common on dust-covered slopes in the equatorial regions of Mars.Chuang, F.C.; Beyer, R.A.; Bridges, N.T. (2010). Modification of Martian Slope Streaks by Eolian Processes. ''Icarus,'' 205 154 ...
*
Fossa (geology)
In planetary nomenclature, a fossa (pl. fossae ) is a long, narrow depression (trough) on the surface of an extraterrestrial body, such as a planet or moon. The term, which means "ditch" or "trench" in Latin, is not a geological term as such bu ...
*
Geology of Mars
The geology of Mars is the scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mars. It emphasizes the composition, structure, history, and physical processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field of terrestrial geo ...
*
HiRISE
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction o ...
*
HiWish program HiWish is a program created by NASA so that anyone can suggest a place for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to photograph. It was started in January 2010. In the first few months of the program 3000 people signed up to use HiRIS ...
*
Hydrothermal circulation
Hydrothermal circulation in its most general sense is the circulation of hot water (Ancient Greek ὕδωρ, ''water'',Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with th ...
*
Impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...
*
List of quadrangles on Mars
The surface of Mars has been divided into thirty cartographic quadrangles by the United States Geological Survey. Each quadrangle is a region covering a specified range of latitudes and longitudes on the Martian surface. The quadrangles are name ...
*
List of craters on Mars
__NOTOC__
This is a list of craters on Mars. Impact craters on Mars larger than exist by the hundreds of thousands, but only about one thousand of them have names. Names are assigned by the International Astronomical Union after petitioning by ...
*
Ore resources on Mars
Mars may contain ores that would be very useful to potential colonists. The abundance of volcanic features together with widespread cratering are strong evidence for a variety of ores. While nothing may be found on Mars that would justify the hi ...
*
Vallis
*
Water on Mars
Almost all water on Mars today exists as ice, though it also exists in small quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. What was thought to be low-volume liquid brines in shallow Martian soil, also called recurrent slope lineae, may be grains of ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amenthes Quadrangle
Mars