2007/11/01 by B. Giese, Roland Wagner, G. Neukum +2 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Astro and Planetary Science #Planetary Science and Exploration #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Lithosphere #Impact crater #Geology #Heat flux #Structural basin #Flux (metallurgy) #Seismology #Geophysics #Geomorphology #Tectonics #Heat transfer #Mechanics #Astrobiology #Physics
paper · doi:10.1029/2007gl031467
openalex publication_date 2007/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
We have identified flexural uplift along the flanks of Tethys' Ithaca Chasma using Cassini stereo‐derived topography. Modeling the topography as a broken elastic plate yields an effective elastic lithospheric thickness in the range of 5–7 km and, combined with the strength envelope of the lithosphere, a mechanical lithospheric thickness of 16–20 km. Surface heat fluxes are 18–30 mW/m 2 for adopted strain rates of 10 −17 –10 −14 s −1 . These heat fluxes are more than 4 times higher than those calculated from thermal history models of Tethys and indicate a strongly enhanced local heat flux associated with the formation of Ithaca Chasma. We use crater‐size frequency counts and a lunar‐like impact chronology to fix the time of formation of Ithaca Chasma at 4 Ga from present‐day. Ithaca Chasma predates the Odysseus basin and thus could not have been formed by this impact feature.