Eastern Olympus Mons Basal Scarp: Structural and mechanical evidence for large-scale slope instability

dc.citation.firstpage1089en_US
dc.citation.issueNumber6en_US
dc.citation.journalTitleJournal of Geophysical Research: Planetsen_US
dc.citation.lastpage1109en_US
dc.citation.volumeNumber119en_US
dc.contributor.authorWeller, M.B.en_US
dc.contributor.authorMcGovern, P.J.en_US
dc.contributor.authorFournier, T.en_US
dc.contributor.authorMorgan, J.K.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-01-28T18:32:41Zen_US
dc.date.available2016-01-28T18:32:41Zen_US
dc.date.issued2014en_US
dc.description.abstractThe expression of the Eastern Olympus Mons Basal Scarp (EOMBS) is seemingly unique along the edifice. It exhibits two slope-parallel structures: a nearly 100 km long upslope extensional normal fault system and a downslope contractional wrinkle ridge network, a combination that is found nowhere else on Olympus Mons. Through structural mapping and numerical modeling of slope stability of the EOMBS, we show that these structures are consistent with landsliding processes and volcanic spreading. The EOMBS is conditionally stable when the edifice contains pore fluid, and critically stable, or in failure, when the edifice contains a dipping overpressured confined aquifer and mechanical sublayer at depth. Failure of the fault-bounded portion of the flank results in estimated volumes of material ranging from 5600–6900 km3, or 32–39% of the estimated volume of the “East” Olympus Mons aureole lobe. We suggest that the EOMBS faults may be an expression of early stage flank collapse and aureole lobe formation. Ages of deformed volcano adjacent plains associated with the wrinkle ridges indicate that this portion of the edifice may have been tectonically active at < 50 Ma and may be coeval with estimated ages of adjacent outflow channels, 25–40 Ma. This observation suggests that conditions that favor flank failure, such as water at depth below the edifice, existed in the relatively recent past and potentially could drive deformation to the present day.en_US
dc.identifier.citationWeller, M.B., McGovern, P.J., Fournier, T., et al.. "Eastern Olympus Mons Basal Scarp: Structural and mechanical evidence for large-scale slope instability." <i>Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets,</i> 119, no. 6 (2014) American Geophysical Union: 1089-1109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JE004524.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JE004524en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/88226en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherAmerican Geophysical Unionen_US
dc.rightsArticle is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.en_US
dc.subject.keywordaureole lobesen_US
dc.subject.keywordlandslideen_US
dc.subject.keywordflank failureen_US
dc.subject.keywordbasal scarpen_US
dc.subject.keywordOlympus Monsen_US
dc.subject.keywordwateren_US
dc.titleEastern Olympus Mons Basal Scarp: Structural and mechanical evidence for large-scale slope instabilityen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.type.dcmiTexten_US
dc.type.publicationpublisher versionen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Weller_et_al-2014.pdf
Size:
6.56 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format