MARS STU
UDENT IMAG
GING PROJE CT FINAL REEPORT ASU MARS ED
DUCATION PPROGRAM Neuqua Valle
ey High Scho
ool | Period 5 | 12‐13 Scchool Year
I. Inttroduction Whaat is your scie
ence questio
on? What is tthe differencee in the depthh, width and llength of fracctures associaated with volcaanic activity compared to ffractures thatt are associated with tectoonism (tensional/ Graben)? Whyy is this quesstion importaant and interesting? This question iss important for the follo
owing reason
ns: 1
1. Through relative datiing, we could learn of re
ecent lava floows and pain
nt a clearer p
picture of th
he tectonic history. 2
2. Could pro
ovide us with more dataa on the volccanic effects on pre‐existting geologicc features. 3
3. Could pro
ovide us with new data tthat can help describe t he formation of fracturees. eses you mayy have had o
of what the aanswer(s) m
might be to yo
our science question. List aany hypothe
1
1. Fracturess associated with a volcaanic formatio
on will be shhallower and
d not as widee due to the infilling of them from lava flowss. II. Baackground 2012‐088‐13 14:56 78.97, 222.6009
Tenssional System
ms Nili FFossae is a ‘ggraben’ syste
em on Mars,, northeast o
of the Syrtis Major volcaanic province, on the no
orthwestern edge of the giant Isidis iimpact basin
n. Grab
ben refers to
o the lowered
d terrain bettween two p
parallel fault s or fracturees in th
he rocks thatt collapses w
when tectonic forces pull the area appart. The Nilii Fossae system co
ontains num
merous grabe
en concentrically orienteed around th
he edgees of the bassin. Marss Express seess deep fracturres on Mars, 6
6 May 2011, (retrieved Seppt 2012) http:/
://www.esa.in
nt/esaSC/SEM
MT4TZ57NG_index_0.htmll
Imagge ID # V28213016
6 161..08E, 7.98
20088‐04‐24 02:07
Associated w
A
with Volcanissm
Cerberus Fos
C
ssae is comprised of seveeral lo
ong fractures radial to th
he Elysium V
Volcanic complex. Thiss fracture ap
ppears to have been a veent fo
or some of the local lavaa flows.
Christensen, P
C
P.R., N.S. Goreelick, G.L. Mehhall, and K.C. Murray, THEEMIS Public Da
ata Releases, Planetary Data
P
a System nod
de, Arizona Staate Universityy, <http://theemis‐data.asu
u.edu>. MARS STUDENT IMAGING PROJECT FINAL REPORT ASU MARS EDUCATION PROGRAM Neuqua Valley High School | Period 5 | 12‐13 School Year
III. Methods What specific spacecraft and camera did you use to collect data for your research? 1. THEMIS 2. MOLA Colorized Elevation 3. JMARS The focus of our research was investigating craters in the South Pole Region near the ice cap.  We used the JMARS data base platform. 1. Open the following layers: THEMIS Stamps, MOLA Colorized Elevation Maps, Nomenclature  Nomenclature:  Fossae (Looking for tensional derived fractures)  Mons (Looking for volcanically derived fractures) 2. We broke into groups that each individually recorded the necessary observations. We decided the following data was important to collect in order to answer our hypothesis.  Latitude and Longitude  This is important to know exact location and can be used to determine (in degrees) the distance relative to other geologic features and to the other data collected.  MOLA Cross Section Profile Line  We collected width, depth and total fracture length for each fracture observed.  THEMIS Images  Provided details and background descriptions that allowed us to categorize the fractures. IV. Data Tensional Region Image ID# Long, Lat Length
Cross Section 1 (Width/Depth) Cross Section 2 (Width/ Depth) Cross Section 3 (Width/ Depth) Hephaestus Fossae 123.102E, 20.898 450km
4km/ 120m
5km/ 500m
14km/ 950m
Nectaris Fossae 312.219E, ‐25.227 115km
7km/ 140m
7km/ 750m
7.5km/ 1050m
Tithoniae Fossae 274.310E, ‐4.719 748km
55km/ 4800m
48km/ 6000m 11.5km/ 2000m
Nia Foassae 288.75E, ‐7.625 1800km
100km/ 7500m
300km/ 9400m 110km/ 6800m
Tempe Fossae 288.398E, 41.320 190km
13km/ 1250m
20km/ 980m 22.5km/ 850m
Volcanic Region Image ID#
Elysium Mons 140.047E, 24.75 240km
15.5km/ 3300m
21.5km/3250m 8.5km/ 350m
Centari Montes 93.137E, ‐37.49 550km
35km/ 1750m
40km/ 1000m 39km/ 625m Albor Tholus 148.441E, 20.176 78km 5.5km/ 275m
4.5km/ 305m 4km/ 580m
MARS STU
UDENT IMAG
GING PROJE CT FINAL REEPORT ASU MARS ED
DUCATION PPROGRAM Neuqua Valle
ey High Scho
ool | Period 5 | 12‐13 Scchool Year
V ‐ Albor
Tholus
V ‐
Centari
Montes
93.137E, ‐37.49
V ‐
Elysium
Mons
140
0.047E, 24.75
288.398E, 41.320
T ‐
T ‐
T ‐
Hephaest Nectaris Tithoniae T ‐ Nia
us Fossae Fossae
Fossae Foassae
148.441E, 20.176
T ‐
Tempe
Fossae
Tensio
onal (T) Vs. Volccanic (V)) Total Leength (kkm)
288.75E, ‐7.625
274.310E, ‐4.719
312.2
219E, ‐25.227
123.102E, 20.898
0
T ‐
Hep
phaestus
Fossae
123
3.102E,
20.898
Series1
450
200
400
T ‐ Nectaris T ‐ TTithoniae
Fossae
F
F
Fossae
312
2.219E, ‐
25.227
2
115
274
4.310E, ‐
4
4.719
748
600
800
1000
1200
140
00
1600
1800
T ‐ Nia
T
Foassae
T ‐‐ Tempe
FFossae
V ‐ Elysium
Mons
V ‐ Centari
Montes
V ‐ Albor
V
Tholus
28
88.75E, ‐
7.625
1800
2888.398E,
441.320
190
1440.047E,
24.75
240
93.137E, ‐
37.49
550
1
148.441E,
20.176
78
MARS STU
UDENT IMAG
GING PROJE CT FINAL REEPORT ASU MARS ED
DUCATION PPROGRAM Neuqua Valle
ey High Scho
ool | Period 5 | 12‐13 Scchool Year
T‐
T Hephaes T ‐
T ‐
T ‐
V ‐
V ‐
tus Nectaris Tithonia T ‐ Nia Tempe Elysium Centari V ‐ Albor
Fossae Fossae e Fossae Foassae Fossae Mons Montes Tholus
Tensional (T) Vs. V
Volcanic (V) ‐ Deepth (m)
148.441E, 20.1
1
76
Series3
Series2
SSeries1
Beginning | Middle | End
Proffile Lines
580
0
305
275
62
25
1000
93.137E, ‐37.49
140.047E, 24.75
1750
350
250
3300
850
8
980
1250
20
288.398E, 41.3
2
680
00
288.75E, ‐7.625
2000
0
274.310E, ‐4.7
2
19
31
12.219E, ‐25.227
123.102E, 20.8
1
98
9400
7500
4800
140
6000
1050
750
500
0
120
950
Te
ensionall (T) Vs. V
Volcanicc (V) ‐ W
Width (km
m)
Series1
1
Series2
Series3
Beginningg | Middle | End
Profile Lines 0
110
300
0
14
15
4
123.1
102E,
20.8
898
77.5
11
48
8.5
55
5
312.21
19E, ‐ 274.310
0E, ‐
25.227
4.719
T ‐
oniae
T ‐ Necctaris T ‐ Titho
Fossae
Fossaae
Hephaaestus
Fosssae
100
0
22.5
5
20
13
8.55
21.5
15.5
5
39
40
35
4
4.5
5.5
288.75E, ‐
5
7.625
288.3988E,
41.3200
140.0477E,
24.75
93.137E,, ‐
37.49
148.441EE,
20.176
T ‐ Nia
Foassaae
T ‐ Tempe
Fossaee
V ‐ Elysiuum
Mons
V ‐ Centaari
Montess
V ‐ Alborr
Tholus
MARS STU
UDENT IMAG
GING PROJE CT FINAL REEPORT ASU MARS ED
DUCATION PPROGRAM Neuqua Valle
ey High Scho
ool | Period 5 | 12‐13 Scchool Year
V. Discussion Could there be inaccuracies and misinte
erpretations?? If so, pleasse explain. 1
1. The Fractture measurrements werre completed with MOLA
A. In a lot off cases, theree were not TTHEMIS images available to p
provide the h
high detail and resolutioon to be extrremely preciise and accu
urate. 2
2. Human e
error: We had 8 separate
e groups collecting data . Each group
p had their o
own intrinsicc level of effort and focus on d
detail. 3
3. There alsso could havve been misinterpretatio
ons of wheree the fracture began, ended or wherre the edgess of the fraacture were.. 4
4. We question the reliability of JM
MARS. We wo
ould get a di fferent num
mber of THEM
MIS images ffor any one n the THEMIS stamp layeer. region eaach time we would open
5
5. We also have an extrremely small sample of d
data compa red to the to
otal numberr of fracturess on mars. n our resultss. This could have a hugge impact on
V ‐
T ‐
T ‐
T ‐
T ‐
V ‐ Centar
Hepha Nectar Tithon T ‐ Nia Temp Elysiu
i
V ‐
estus is
iae Foassa e
m Monte Albor
FossaeFossaeFossae e Fossae Mons s Tholus
Tensional (T) Vs. V
Volcanic (V) ‐ Deepth (m)
Volcanicc AVG DEPT
TH Tensiona
al AVG DEPT
TH 148.441E, 20.176
93.137
7E, ‐37.49
140.04
47E, 24.75
288.398E, 41.320
Series3
Series2
Series1
Beginning | Middle | End
Proffile Lines 580
305
275
625
1000
1750
350
250
33000
850
980
1250
680
00
288.75
5E, ‐7.625
7500
2000
274.310
0E, ‐4.719
312.219EE, ‐25.227
123.102E, 20.898
4800
140
9400
6000
1050
750
950
500
120
Obseervations of D
Data: 1
1. No clear P
Pattern 2
2. The averaage depth was greater with
hin the tensio
onal fracture which does ssupport our hypothesis however the overall sizze of the fracttures varied w
widely 3
3. Does not strongly supp
port or refute
e our hypothe
esis – more daata and obserrvations are n
necessary. MARS STUDENT IMAGING PROJECT FINAL REPORT ASU MARS EDUCATION PROGRAM Neuqua Valley High School | Period 5 | 12‐13 School Year
VI. Conclusions What is your science question? What is the difference in the depth, width and length of fractures associated with volcanic activity compared to fractures that are associated with tectonism (tensional/ Graben)? We hypothesized that the fractures associated with volcanic formations would be shallower and not as wide due to the infilling of them from lava flows.  We found that are observations and analysis of the data does not strongly support or refute our hypothesis. 1. The average depth for volcanic associated fractures was less than the average depth for tensional fractures which does support our hypothesis however we had cases where looking at individual fractures the opposite was true. 2. There was no relationship evident between length and width comparing the two different fractures types. 3. The total average length of tensional fractures were longer but we had cases where looking at individual fractures the opposite was true.  We need more data: This represents areas of future research that could be valuable in answering our hypothesis. 1. Mineral and geologic composition to identify lava flows within fractures. 2. More THEMIS images of fractures on the surface of mars to conduct further detailed investigations. 3. Similar study with more detailed data collection (THEMIS images) and a larger data sample to analyze and draw conclusions from. Acknowledgements 1. Jessica Swann (Coordinator of program) 2. JMARS *See references 3. THEMIS *See references 4. MSIP and ASU *See references VI. References Mars Express sees deep fractures on Mars, 6 May 2011, (retrieved Sept 2012) http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMT4TZ57NG_index_0.html Christensen, P.R., N.S. Gorelick, G.L. Mehall, and K.C. Murray, THEMIS Public Data Releases, Planetary Data System node, Arizona State University, <http://themis‐data.asu.edu>. Christensen, P.R., B.M. Jakosky, H.H. Kieffer, M.C. Malin, H.Y. McSween, Jr., K. Nealson, G.L. Mehall, S.H. Silverman, S. Ferry, M. Caplinger, and M. Ravine, The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) for the Mars 2001 Odyssey Mission, Space Science Reviews, 110, 85‐130, 2004. Watt, K. (2002). Mars Student Imaging Project: Resource Manuel. Retrieved June 29, 2006, retrieved Sept 2012 from Arizona State University, Mars Student Imaging Project Web site: http://msip.asu.edu/curriculum.html.