Pavonis Mons
Pavonis Mons is an extinct shield volcano in the Tharsis region. The location of Pavonis Mons is 1.48 N and 247.04 E (112.96 W) in the Tharsis quadrangle.
The name "Pavonis Mons" is Latin for "peacock mountain". It is the middle member of a chain of three volcanic mountains (collectively known as the Tharsis Montes) that straddle the Martian equator between longitudes 235°E and 259°E. The volcano was discovered by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1971 and was originally called Middle Spot.[1] Its name officially became Pavonis Mons in 1973.[2]
Glaciers
Using Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Odyssey|Odyssey data, scientists found much evidence that glaciers once existed on Pavonis Mons and probably still do to some extent.[3] [4] Evidence for this includes concentric ridges (moraines "dropped" by glaciers), a knobby area (caused by ice sublimating), and a smooth section that flows over other deposits (debris-covered glacial ice). The ice was probably deposited when the tilt of Mars changed the climate, thereby causing more moisture to be present in the atmosphere. Studies suggest the glaciation happened in the Late Amazonian period, but multiple stages of glaciation probably occurred.[5] The ice present today represents one more resource for possible future colonization of the planet.
References:
- ↑ "Volcanism on Mars" (1973). Journal of Geophysical Research 78: 4049–4062. doi:. Bibcode: 1973JGR....78.4049C.
- ↑ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/
- ↑ "Origin and Evolution of Cold-Based Tropical Mountain Glacier on Mars: the Pavonis Mons Fan-Shaped Deposit" (2005). Journal of Geophysical Research 110. doi:. Bibcode: 2005JGRE..11005001S.
- ↑ Carr, Michael H. (2006). The Surface of Mars. Cambridge University Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-521-87201-0.
- ↑ mars.asu.edu
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