Open AccessHemispheres apart: The Martian Crustal Dichotomy
Author(s) -
Watters Thomas R.,
McGovern Patrick J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2005eo050003
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , tharsis , geology , martian , tectonics , crust , volcano , astrobiology , martian surface , impact crater , earth science , geophysics , paleontology , physics
Mars is a world divided—divided into ancient, heavily cratered highlands in the southern hemisphere and relatively featureless lowland plains in the northern hemisphere (Figure 1). This hemispheric dichotomy is manifested not only in the topography, but also in the geology, the tectonics, the cratering record, the gravity and magnetic field, and the crustal structure. The contrast between hemispheres has been brought into sharp focus by the unprecedented amount of new data returned by the fleet of operational spacecraft in Mars orbit (Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express) and on the surface (Mars Exploration Rovers). However, the origin of perhaps the most fundamental feature of the crust of Mars remains uncertain. The formation of the crustal dichotomy may have set the course for most of the subsequent geologic evolution of Mars, including the Tharsis volcanic and tectonic province.