Differential apparent thermal inertia of sloping terrain on Mars: Implications for the magmatic intrusions at Olympus Mons

Abstract

Mars, which exhibits exceptionally high surface temperature gradients due to the lack of vegetation and thin atmosphere, is especially suitable for the DATI approach. Taking advantage of this Mars property, we propose a new DATI-based method for thermal inertia calculation on Mars based on albedo and short-time-intervals of temperature difference. We tested our method in Valles Marineris. At the Olympus Mons, we obtained results consistent with those of previous studies suggesting ongoing, latestage intrusive activity. The occurrence of increased thermal inertia values in the southern portion of the volcano summit calderas coincides with the asymmetric tilting of up to ∼400 m in the southern portion of Zeus Patera. Inflation of the southern flank of the summit area after the eruption of the youngest lava flows is a plausible explanation, thus implying that intrusive activity at Olympus Mons has continued towards the present.