Oxia Planum

Short description: Plain on Mars

Oxia PlanumFile:250px

Feature type| Plains
Location| Oxia Palus quadrangle
Coordinates|  [ ⚑ ] : 18°16′30″N 335°22′05″E﻿ / ﻿18.275°N 335.368°E﻿ / 18.275; 335.368

Oxia Planum is a 200 km-wide clay-bearing plain located on the planet of Mars inside the Oxia Palus quadrangle on the eastern border of Chryse Planitia. The plain lies between the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel to the north-east and the Ares Vallis outflow channel to the south-west. In 2019, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature officially approved Oxia Planum as a feature on the surface of Mars (near 18.275°N 335.368°E).[1][2]

Oxia Planum was one of eight potential landing sites for the European Space Agency and Roscosmos ExoMars mission. After a five-year-long selection process, it was officially selected to be the landing site for Rosalind Franklin (rover). It met the rover landing criteria based on its latitude, elevation,[3] surface slopes,[4] and its Noachian-aged terrains. It was chosen because of its relatively smooth topography and its abundance of hydrated minerals.[1][5][6]

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Aeolian features
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Overview

Oxia Planum contains one of the largest exposures of clay-bearing rocks on Mars.[7] The age of the region was calculated to be from ~3.6 billion years old[8] to ~4 billion years old.[1][7] The site is iron-magnesium rich clays, indicating that water once played a role here. The site sits in an area of valley systems with the exposed rocks exhibiting different compositions, indicating a variety of deposition and wetting environments. Dark resistant units, named for being dark-toned erosion resistant areas, are spread across the surface of the site. The formation of the dark resistant units is hypothesized to have occurred from either fluvial deposits or by volcanic activity during the Amazonian period. The dark resistant units may have preserved the state of the older stratum beneath it.[1][9]

Clay accumulation underneath the remnants of a fan or delta near the outlet of Coogoon Vallis may offer preservation for biosignatures against the planet's harsh radiation and oxidation environment.[7][10][11]

Oxia Planum - Location Map.

Oxia Planum - Geological Context - Morphology.

## Aeolian features

The aeolian features observed on Oxia Planum indicate a changing wind regime. The formation of periodic bedrock ridges (PBRs) is hypothesized to have occurred by exposure from erosion or by wind. The PBRs record the oldest wind period of the region and indicate a north-northeast or south-southeast wind direction. The formation of transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) occurred by wind. The TARs record a second wind period of the region and indicate a northwest or north-northwest to southeast or south-southeast wind direction. Dust devils and windstreaks from the modern wind period indicate a west-northwest to east-southeast and occasionally a north-northeast to south-southwest wind direction.[5][9]

## See also

* Geography of Mars
* List of plains on Mars

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Quantin-Nataf, Cathy; Carter, John; Mandon, Lucia; Thollot, Patrick; Balme, Matthew; Volat, Matthieu; Pan, Lu; Loizeau, Damien et al. (2021-01-05). "Oxia Planum: The Landing Site for the ExoMars "Rosalind Franklin" Rover Mission: Geological Context and Prelanding Interpretation". Astrobiology 21 (3): 345–366. doi:10.1089/ast.2019.2191. ISSN 1531-1074. PMID 33400892.
2. ↑ "ESA mission updates" (in en). https://www.planetary.org/articles/11041714-esa-mission-updates.
3. ↑ Mandon, Lucia; Parkes Bowen, Adam; Quantin-Nataf, Cathy; Bridges, John C.; Carter, John; Pan, Lu; Beck, Pierre; Dehouck, Erwin et al. (2021-03-01). "Morphological and Spectral Diversity of the Clay-Bearing Unit at the ExoMars Landing Site Oxia Planum". Astrobiology 21 (4): 464–480. doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2292. ISSN 1531-1074. PMID 33646016. https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-03263480/document.
4. ↑ Turchinskaya, O. I.; Agapkin, I. A.; Dmitroskiy, A. A.; Slyuta, E. N. (March 2021). "Analysis of the Terrain and Surface Slopes of the Potential Landing Area of the ExoMars Spacecraft Oxia Planum" (in en). Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2548): 2442. Bibcode: 2021LPI....52.2442T. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021LPI....52.2442T/abstract.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Favaro, E. A.; Balme, M. R.; Davis, J. M.; Grindrod, P. M.; Fawdon, P.; Barrett, A. M.; Lewis, S. R. (2021). "The Aeolian Environment of the Landing Site for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover in Oxia Planum, Mars" (in en). Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126 (4). doi:10.1029/2020JE006723. ISSN 2169-9100. https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/49977/1/49977.pdf.
6. ↑ "Oxia Planum favoured for ExoMars surface mission" (in en). http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/Oxia_Planum_favoured_for_ExoMars_surface_mission.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Durnham, R. (October 21, 2015). "ExoMars 2018 rover heading for Oxia Planum". Red Planet Report. http://redplanet.asu.edu/?p=15954.
8. ↑ Gary‐Bicas, C. E.; Rogers, A. D. (2021). "Geologic and Thermal Characterization of Oxia Planum Using Mars Odyssey THEMIS Data" (in en). Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126 (2). doi:10.1029/2020JE006678. ISSN 2169-9100. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020JE006678.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Silvestro, S.; Pacifici, A.; Salese, F.; Vaz, D. A.; Neesemann, A.; Tirsch, D.; Popa, C. I.; Pajola, M. et al. (2021). "Periodic Bedrock Ridges at the ExoMars 2022 Landing Site: Evidence for a Changing Wind Regime" (in en). Geophysical Research Letters 48 (4). doi:10.1029/2020GL091651. ISSN 1944-8007. PMID 33776161.
10. ↑ Thollot, P.; Quantin, C. (May 14, 2014). "Oxia Planum, landing site for Mars 2020". Universite de Lyon, France. http://marsnext.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/2014_05/14_Oxia_Thollot_webpage.pdf.
11. ↑ Staff (October 1, 2014). "Possible Future Mars Landing Site in Oxia Planum - High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment". The University of Arizona. http://www.uahirise.org/ESP_037070_1985.

## External links

* Google Mars zoomable map – centered on the Oxia area
* High resolution images of the Oxia Planum

* v
* t
* e

ExoMars programme

ExoMars 2016|

| Spacecraft|

* Schiaparelli
* Trace Gas Orbiter

|

Instruments|

* ACS
* Electra
* FREND
* NOMAD

ExoMars 2020|

| Spacecraft|

* Kazachok
* Rosalind Franklin

|

Instruments|

* ADRON-RM
* CLUPI
* HABIT
* ISEM
* LaRa
* MA-MISS
* MicrOmega-IR
* MOMA
* PanCam
* RLS
* WISDOM

Related|

* MAX-C rover
* Meridiani Planum
* Oxia Planum

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Geography of Mars and geology of Mars

Cartography

| Regions|

* Abalos Undae
* Aspledon Undae
* Arabia Terra
* Cerberus
* Cydonia
* Eridania Lake
* Hyperboreae Undae
* Ogygis Undae
* Olympia Undae
* Planum Australe
* Planum Boreum
* Quadrangles
* Sinus Meridiani
* Siton Undae
* Tempe Terra
* Terra Cimmeria
* Terra Sabaea
* Tharsis
* Vastitas Borealis

|

Quadrangles|

* Aeolis
* Amazonis
* Amenthes
* Arabia
* Arcadia
* Argyre
* Casius
* Cebrenia
* Coprates
* Diacria
* Elysium
* Eridania
* Hellas
* Iapygia
* Ismenius Lacus
* Lunae Palus
* Mare Acidalium
* Mare Australe (South Pole)
* Mare Boreum (North Pole)
* Mare Tyrrhenum
* Margaritifer Sinus
* Memnonia
* Noachis
* Oxia Palus
* Phaethontis
* Phoenicis Lacus
* Sinus Sabaeus
* Syrtis Major
* Tharsis
* Thaumasia

Geology

| Surface features|

* Brain terrain
* Carbonates
* Chaos terrain
* Color
* Composition
* Concentric crater fill
* Dark slope streak
* Dichotomy
* Dune fields
* Hagal
* Nili Patera
* Fretted terrain
* Geysers
* Glaciers
* Groundwater
* Gullies
* Inverted relief
* Lakes
* Lava tubes
* Lineated valley fill (LVF)
* Lobate debris apron
* North Polar Basin
* Ocean hypothesis
* Ore resources
* Outflow channels
* Polar caps
* Ring mold craters
* Rootless cones
* Scalloped topography
* Seasonal flows
* Soil
* Spherules
* Surface
* Swiss cheese features
* Terrain softening
* Tholus
* Upper plains unit
* Valley networks
* Water
* Yardangs

|

History|

* Amazonian
* Hesperian
* Noachian
* Volcanology
* Observation history
* Canals (list)
* Classical albedo features

Rocks observed|

* Curiosity rover
* Bathurst Inlet
* Coronation
* Goulburn
* Hottah
* Jake Matijevic
* Link
* Rocknest
* Rocknest 3
* Tintina
* Opportunity rover
* Bounce
* El Capitan
* Last Chance
* Sojourner rover
* Barnacle Bill
* Yogi
* Spirit rover
* Adirondack
* Home Plate
* Mimi
* Pot of Gold
* Viking
* Big Joe
* Other
* Face
* Monolith

* Meteorites found on Mars
* Block Island
* Heat Shield
* Mackinac Island
* Meridiani Planum
* Oileán Ruaidh
* Shelter Island

* Martian meteorites found on Earth
* Balsaltic Breccia
* Chassignites
* Nakhlites
* Shergottites
* Other
* List

Topography

| Mountains and
volcanoes

(list by height)

* Acidalia Colles
* Alba Mons
* Anseris Mons
* Apollinaris Mons
* Ariadnes Colles
* Astapus Colles
* Ausonia Montes
* Avernus Colles
* Biblis Tholus
* Centauri Montes
* Charitum Montes
* Echus Montes
* Elysium
* Elysium Mons
* Albor Tholus
* Hecates Tholus
* Erebus Montes
* Galaxius Mons
* Hadriacus Mons
* Hellas Montes
* Jovis Tholus
* Libya Montes
* Mount Sharp
* Nereidum Montes
* Olympus Mons
* Phlegra Montes
* Syrtis Major Planum
* Tartarus Colles
* Tartarus Montes
* Tharsis Montes
* Ascraeus
* Pavonis
* Arsia
* Tharsis Tholus
* Tyrrhenus Mons
* Ulysses Tholus
* Uranius group
* Uranius Mons
* Ceraunius Tholus
* Uranius Tholus

|

Plains and
plateaus|

* Acidalia Planitia
* Aeolis Palus
* Amazonis Planitia
* Arcadia Planitia
* Argyre Planitia
* Chryse Planitia
* Daedalia Planum
* Elysium Planitia
* Eridania Planitia
* Hellas Planitia
* Hesperia Planum
* Icaria Planum
* Isidis Planitia
* Lunae Planum
* Meridiani Planum
* Oxia Planum
* Planum Australe
* Planum Boreum
* Syria Planum
* Syrtis Major Planum
* Utopia Planitia
* Eden Patera
* Orcus Patera
* Peneus Patera
* Pityusa Patera

Canyons and
valleys|

* Aram Chaos
* Arsia Chasmata
* Aromatum Chaos
* Atlantis Chaos
* Aureum Chaos
* Candor Chasma
* Chasma Boreale
* Coprates Chasma
* Echus Chasma
* Eos Chaos
* Eos Chasma
* Galaxias Chaos
* Ganges Chasma
* Gorgonum Chaos
* Hebes Chasma
* Hydaspis Chaos
* Hydraotes Chaos
* Iani Chaos
* Ister Chaos
* Ius Chasma
* Juventae Chasma
* Melas Chasma
* Ophir Chasma
* Tithonium Chasma

* List of valles
* Apsus
* Ares
* Arnus
* Asopus
* Athabasca
* Auqakuh
* Bahram
* Buvinda
* Dao
* Enipeus
* Frento
* Granicus
* Green Valley
* Harmakhis
* Hebrus
* Her Desher
* Hrad
* Huo Hsing
* Hypanis
* Iberus
* Indus
* Ituxi
* Kasei
* Labou
* Ladon
* Lethe
* Licus
* Louros
* Ma'adam
* Mad
* Maja
* Mamers
* Mangala
* Marineris
* Labes
* Marte
* Maumee
* Mawrth
* Minio
* Naktong
* Nanedi
* Niger
* Nirgal
* Padus
* Paraná
* Patapsco
* Peace
* Rahway
* Ravi
* Reull
* Sabis
* Sabrina
* Samara
* Scamander
* Shalbatana
* Simud
* Stura
* Tader
* Tinia
* Tinjar
* Tiu
* Tyras
* Uzboi
* ULM
* Vedra
* Verde
* Warrego

Fossae, mensae
rupes and labyrinthi|

* Amenthes Fossae
* Ceraunius Fossae
* Cerberus Fossae
* Coloe Fossae
* Cyane Fossae
* Elysium Fossae
* Hephaestus Fossae
* Icaria Fossae
* Labeatis Fossae
* Mangala Fossa
* Mareotis Fossae
* Medusae Fossae
* Memnonia Fossae
* Nili Fossae
* Olympica Fossae
* Oti Fossae
* Sirenum Fossae
* Tantalus Fossae
* Tempe Fossae
* Tithonium Fossae
* Tractus Fossae
* Ulysses Fossae
* Aeolis Mensae
* Ausonia Mensa
* Capri Mensa
* Cydonia Mensae
* Deuteronilus Mensae
* Ganges Mensa
* Nilosyrtis Mensae
* Protonilus Mensae
* Sacra Mensa
* Claritas Rupes
* Olympus Rupes
* Rupes Tenuis
* Angustus Labyrinthus
* Noctis Labyrinthus

Catenae and
craters|

* Artynia Catena
* Tithoniae Catenae
* Tractus Catena
* Adams
* Agassiz
* Airy
* Airy-0
* Aniak
* Antoniadi
* Arandas
* Argo
* Arkhangelsky
* Arrhenius
* Asimov
* Bacolor
* Bakhuysen
* Baldet
* Baltisk
* Bamberg
* Barabashov
* Barnard
* Beagle
* Becquerel
* Beer
* Belz
* Bernard
* Bianchini
* Boeddicker
* Bok
* Bond
* Bonestell
* Bonneville
* Brashear
* Briault
* Burroughs
* Burton
* Campbell
* Canso
* Cassini
* Caxias
* Cerulli
* Chafe
* Chapais
* Chincoteague
* Chryse Alien
* Clark
* Coblentz
* Columbus
* Copernicus
* Corby
* Crewe
* Crivitz
* Crommelin
* Cruls
* Curie
* Da Vinci
* Danielson
* Darwin
* Davies
* Dawes
* Dejnev
* Denning
* Dilly
* Dinorwic
* Douglass
* Dromore
* Du Martheray
* Eagle
* Eberswalde
* Eddie
* Ejriksson
* Emma Dean
* Endeavour
* Matijevic Hill
* Endurance
* Erebus
* Escalante
* Eudoxus
* Fenagh
* Fesenkov
* Firsoff
* Flammarion
* Flaugergues
* Focas
* Fontana
* Fournier
* Fram
* Galdakao
* Gale
* Galle
* Garni
* Gasa
* Gilbert
* Gill
* Gledhill
* Gold
* Graff
* Green
* Grindavik
* Gusev
* Apollo 1 Hills
* Chaffee
* Grissom
* White
* Columbia Hills
* Husband
* McCool
* Sleepy Hollow
* Hadley
* Haldane
* Hale
* Halley
* Hartwig
* Heaviside
* Heimdal
* Heinlein
* Helmholtz
* Henry
* Herschel
* Hipparchus
* Holden
* Holmes
* Hooke
* Huggins
* Hussey
* Hutton
* Huxley
* Huygens
* Iazu
* Ibragimov
* Inuvik
* Janssen
* Jarry-Desloges
* Jeans
* Jezero
* Jezža
* Joly
* Jones
* Kaiser
* Keeler
* Kepler
* Kinkora
* Kipini
* Knobel
* Koga
* Korolev
* Kufra
* Kuiper
* Kunowsky
* Lambert
* Lamont
* Lampland
* Lassell
* Lau
* Le Verrier
* Li Fan
* Liais
* Lipik
* Liu Hsin
* Llanesco
* Lockyer
* Lod
* Lohse
* Lomonosov
* Lowell
* Lyell
* Lyot
* Mädler
* Magelhaens
* Maggini
* Main
* Mandora
* Maraldi
* Mariner
* Marth
* Martz
* Masursky
* Maunder
* McLaughlin
* McMurdo
* Mellish
* Mendel
* Mie
* Milankovic
* Millochau
* Mitchel
* Miyamoto
* Mohawk
* Mojave
* Molesworth
* Montevallo
* Moreux
* Müller
* Nansen
* Nereus
* Newton
* Nhill
* Nicholson
* Niesten
* Nipigon
* Onon
* Orson Welles
* Oudemans
* Palana
* Pangboche
* Pasteur
* Penticton
* Perepelkin
* Peridier
* Persbo
* Pettit
* Phillips
* Pickering
* Playfair
* Pollack
* Poona
* Porter
* Porth
* Priestley
* Proctor
* Ptolemaeus
* Puńsk
* Quenisset
* Rabe
* Radau
* Rahe
* Rayleigh
* Redi
* Renaudot
* Reuyl
* Reynolds
* Richardson
* Ritchey
* Robert Sharp
* Roddenberry
* Ross
* Rossby
* Rudaux
* Russell
* Rutherford
* Sagan
* Saheki
* Santa Maria
* Schaeberle
* Schiaparelli
* Schmidt
* Secchi
* Semeykin
* Sharonov
* Sibu
* Sinton
* Sitka
* Sklodowska
* Slipher
* Smith
* South
* Spallanzani
* Srīpur
* Steno
* Stokes
* Stoney
* Suess
* Suzhi
* Tarsus
* Taytay
* Teisserenc de Bort
* Terby
* Thila
* Thira
* Tikhonravov
* Tikhov
* Timbuktu
* Tombaugh
* Tooting
* Trouvelot
* Troy
* Trud
* Trumpler
* Tugaske
* Tycho Brahe
* Tyndall
* Udzha
* Vernal
* Very
* Victoria
* Cape Verde
* Vinogradov
* Vinogradsky
* Virrat
* Vishniac
* Vogel
* Von Kármán
* Wallace
* Wegener
* Weinbaum
* Wells
* Williams
* Winslow
* Wirtz
* Wislicenus
* Wright
* Yuty
* Zumba
* Zunil

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxia Planum. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Astronomy:Oxia_Planum&oldid=4134065"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template