The Global Topography of Mars and Implications for Surface Evolution
Abstract
Elevations measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter have yielded a high-accuracy global map of the topography of Mars. Dominant features include the low northern hemisphere, the Tharsis province, and the Hellas impact basin. The northern hemisphere depression is primarily a long-wavelength effect that has been shaped by an internal mechanism. The topography of Tharsis consists of two broad rises. Material excavated from Hellas contributes to the high elevation of the southern hemisphere and to the scarp along the hemispheric boundary. The present topography has three major drainage centers, with the northern lowlands being the largest. The two polar cap volumes yield an upper limit of the present surface water inventory of 3.2 to 4.7 million cubic kilometers.
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Carbonate-bearing rocks in Lucaya's central pit today lie at a MOLA elevation of ~1.4-1.5 km relative datum.
“The carbonate-bearing rocks in Lucaya's central pit today lie at a MOLA elevation of ~1.4-1.5 km relative datum [Smith et al., 1999].”
From Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Smith et al., 1999
Cites
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Composition of the Continental Crust
Rudnick, R. L., & Gao, S. (2014) · Treatise on Geochemistry · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-095975-7.00301-6 · Cited by 5,691 · see citing works
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Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars
Wray, J. J., Murchie, S. L., Bishop, J. L., Ehlmann, B. L., Milliken, R. E., Wilhelm, M. B., Seelos, K. D., & Chojnacki, M. (2016) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1002/2015je004972 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
- Authors
- Smith, D. E., Zuber, M. T., Solomon, S. C., Phillips, R. J., Head, J. W., Garvin, J. B., Banerdt, W. B., Muhleman, D. O., Pettengill, G. H., Neumann, G. A., Lemoine, F. G., Abshire, J. B., Aharonson, O., David, C., Brown, Hauck, S. A., Ivanov, A. B., McGovern, P. J., Zwally, H. J., & Duxbury, T. C.
- Affiliations
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, David E.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1999-05-28
- Volume
- 284
- Issue
- 5419
- Pages
- 1495-1503
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2147284262
- Cited by
- 941
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 72 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 47.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological Modeling and Analysis
- Keywords
- Mars topography, Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, Mars surface evolution, hemispheric dichotomy, watershed, polar cap
- MeSH terms
- Extraterrestrial Environment, Ice, Water, Mars, Evolution, Planetary
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