abstract: In this thesis, I investigate possible formation processes in the northern Claritas Fossae and the large Thaumasia graben on Mars. In particular, I assess three proposed formation hypotheses for the region: a mega-landslide across the Thaumasia plateau, originating in Tharsis and moving to the south-west; a rift system pulling apart Claritas Fossae and opening the large Thaumasia graben generally propagating in a north-south direction: and extension caused by uplifting from underlying dike swarms. Using digital terrain models (DTMs) from the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard Mars Express and visual images from the Context Camera (CTX) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), I analyzed the geomorphic and structural context of the region. Specifically, I produced geomorphologic and structural feature maps, conducted sector diagram analyses of fault propagation direction, calculated and compared extension and strain in local and regional samples, analyzed along strike throw-profiles of faults, and conducted surface age estimates through crater counting. I found that no single formation mechanism fully explains the surface features seen in Northern Claritas Fossae today. Instead I, propose the following sequence of events led to the surface characteristics we now observe. The region most likely underwent two episodes of uplift and extension due to sub-surface magmatic intrusions, then experienced an extensional event which produced the large Thaumasia graben. This was followed by the emplacement of a layer of lava burying the bottom of the Thaumasia graben and the eastern edge of the region. Additional extension followed across the eastern portion of the study area, and finally of a young lava flow was emplaced abutting and overprinting the southwestern edge. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Geological Sciences 2019

Approximately 16 square km of Columbia River basalt are exposed in the Salmon River area to the south and to the west of Mount Hood, Oregon. A maximum composite basalt section composed of 15 flows and totaling 461 m is exposed in discontinuous areas of outcrop.

Upper Triassic metavolcanic and metasedimentary strata in the study area are intruded by the Hurricane Divide and Craig Mountain Plutons of the Late Jurassic-Cretaceous Wallowa Batholith. The Clover Creek Greenstone is overlain by the Martin Bridge Limestone, which is in tum overlain by the Hurwal Argillite; although the sequence is in normal stratigraphic order, contacts are generally tectonic. Concurrent with Early-Middle Jurassic regional deformation, during intermediate to mafic dikes, emplacement of the plutons of the Wallowa Batholith began. The plutons intruded vertically through the greenstone and limestone and then horizontally above the greenstone. This resulted in intense penetrative plastic deformation particularly of the Martin Bridge Limestone. Emplacement of the Hurricane Divide Pluton followed a northeast axis, and resulted in isoclinal folding and the formation of northerly trending synformal anticlines in the Martin Bridge atop a zone of uncoupling between the plastic limestone and the more rigid underlying Clover Creek metavolcanic basement. Subsequent final emplacement of the Craig Mountain Pluton caused cross folding of these anticlinal structures. Granitic plutonism was followed by regional uplift with associated faulting and erosion. Miocene Columbia River Basalt flood lavas were injected along many of the more northerly trending of these faults. This magmatism was concurrent with or followed by block uplift on the order of 1800 m of the Wallowa Mountains along the Wallowa Fault.

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Strike-slip faults evolve to accommodate more fault slip, resulting in less off-fault deformation. In analog experiments, the measured fault slip to off-fault deformation ratios are similar to those measured in crustal strike-slip systems, such as the San Andreas fault system. Established planar faults have the largest fault slip to off-fault deformation ratio of ~0.98. In systems without a pre-existing fault surface, crustal thickness and basal detachment conditions affect shear zone width and roughness. However, once the applied plate displacement is 1-2 times the crustal thickness, partitioning of deformation between fault slip and off-fault distributed shear is >0.90, regardless of the basal boundary conditions. In addition, at any moment during the evolution of the analog fault system, the ratio of fault slip to off-fault deformation is larger than the cumulative ratio. We also find that the upward and lateral propagation of faults as an active shear zone developing early in the experiments has greater impact on the system’s strike-slip efficiency than later interaction between non-collinear fault segments. For bends with stepover distance of twice the crustal thickness, the fault slip to off-fault deformation ratio increases up to ~0.80-0.90, after applied plate displacement exceeds twice the crustal thickness. Propagation of new oblique-slip faults around sharp restraining bends reduces the overall off-fault deformation within the fault system. In contrast, fault segments within gentle restraining bends continue to slip and the propagation of new oblique-slip faults have less effect on the system’s efficiency than for sharp restraining bends.