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Compositional evidence of magmatic activity on Vesta
Author(s) -
De Sanctis M. C.,
Ammannito E.,
Buczkowski D.,
Raymond C. A.,
Jaumann R.,
Mittlefehldt D. W.,
Capaccioni F.,
Capria M. T.,
Frigeri A.,
Magni G.,
Tosi F.,
Zambon F.,
Russell C. T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl059646
Subject(s) - geology , impact crater , basalt , volcano , astrobiology , ejecta , meteorite , crust , geochemistry , intrusion , asteroid , earth science , physics , quantum mechanics , supernova
Like the Earth and other terrestrial planets, the asteroid Vesta has a basaltic crust and a large iron core; its surface is dominated by impact craters of all sizes and has tectonic features. The presence of basaltic compositions, olivine, howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite meteorites, and models of Vesta's formation, suggests that volcanic and/or magmatic activity could have occurred on Vesta. A global search for lobate structures did not find unequivocal evidence of volcanic features. Nevertheless, several morphological properties of Brumalia Tholus on Vestalia Terra suggest that this topographic high most likely formed as a magmatic intrusion. The presence of more orthopyroxene‐rich material relative to surrounding terrain in the ejecta of Teia, a fresh impact crater on the northern face of Brumalia Tholus, supports the hypothesis of magmatic intrusions on Vesta.