Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA
Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA
Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
SP-1231<br />
124<br />
Site 2: Apol<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>aris Patera<br />
Volcano and Volcanogenic Units<br />
8.6ºS/187.5ºW<br />
Elevati<strong>on</strong>: 0-1 km<br />
Apol<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>aris Patera is a volcanic complex <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> equatorial area of <strong>Mars</strong> at a relatively low elevati<strong>on</strong>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> age<br />
is probably Hesperian (Scott et al., 1993). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> patera itself is not of great exobiology <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest, but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a<br />
lot of evidence <str<strong>on</strong>g>for</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence of water (Gulick, 1998): chaotic z<strong>on</strong>es, lobate ejecta and channels. Ow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> volcanic activity, coupled with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence of water, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most probable processes are hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal systems probably existed well <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Amaz<strong>on</strong>ian era (Gulick, 1998), witnessed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
prist<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e crater associated with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> volcanic edifice. Fluids were likely ejected from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> volcano <strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
surround<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g pla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>for</str<strong>on</strong>g>m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r large hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal site. Evidence of (hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal) sapp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g occur <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn area.<br />
Am<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> several possible land<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g areas, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn porti<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> patera probably has <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> greatest<br />
potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>for</str<strong>on</strong>g> exobiology. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a large fan-shaped channel complex <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this area. Erosi<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> volcano’s<br />
flanks has probably exhumed large quantities of old volcanic units, and hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal spr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs are ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
probable. A land<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g site at around 12ºS/185.5ºW (Gulick, 1998) would be suitable <str<strong>on</strong>g>for</str<strong>on</strong>g> exobiological<br />
explorati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Fig. II.4.7/2. Site 2: Apol<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>aris Patera is a volcano with extensive features suggest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence of water and, c<strong>on</strong>sequently,<br />
hydro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmal activity. (Vik<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g image, NASA.)