C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Geography 441/541 S/15 Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Naming Conventions – The International Astronomical Union (IAU) governs planetary nomenclature New features identified, tentatively named, and the IAU peer- reviews the name for all planets Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature Once approved, names go into the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature This is housed at the USGS Astrogeology Research Program:

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Naming Conventions – Mars Features: Conventions for Naming Features  Albedo Features: Names from classical mythology originally assigned by Schiaparelli and Antoniadi  Large craters (craters > ~60 km): Dead scientists who contributed to the study of Mars; writers and others who added to the lore of Mars  Small craters (craters < ~60 km): Villages and towns on Earth having populations < 100,000  Large valles: Name for "Mars" or "star" in various languages  Small valles: Classical or modern names of rivers  Other features: From a nearby named albedo feature on Schiaparelli or Antoniadi maps  Deimos: Authors who wrote about Martian satellites  Phobos: Scientists involved with the study of the Martian satellites, and characters and places from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars: A Whole New Vocabulary! – Why?!? _ Familiar geographical and geological terms are generally too misleading to use in an environment we can’t visit and understand in its own context _ Calling something a “valley” implies the kind of fluvial and glacial erosion responsible for valleys here _ Analogies may not apply, at least not yet _ To avoid that temptation to analogies, the IAU has created a formal vocabulary to use in extraterrestrial contexts _ We have to understand Mars (or any other extraterrestrial object) in its own terms and context  Sorry!

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Vastitas (vastitates) : An extensive, vast plain

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Planum (plana) : A plateau or high plain Meridiani Planum seen from Opportunity’s Pancam

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Planitia (planitiæ) : A low-lying plain or lowland Elysium Planitia

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Terra (terræ) : An extensive land mass Arabia Terra

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Chaos: an area of broken or blocky terrain Aram Chaos

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Cavus (cavi): a hollow or irregular, steep sided depression, often in clusters Sysiphi Cavi (South Polar Layered Terrain)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Chasma (chasmata): a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression Ganges Chasma (eastern end of Valles Marineris system)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Vallis (valles): a valley or canyon Ma’adim Vallis (Viking image) (and Gusev Crater, where Spirit landed)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Fossa (fossæ): a long, narrow depression Claritas Fossæ, in Solis Planum, taken by HRSC on Mars Express

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Labes: landslide Valles Marineris

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Labyrinthus (labyrinthi): complex of intersecting valleys or ridges Noctis Labyrinthus map (west of Valles Marineris, east of Pavonis Mons)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Sulcus (sulci): parallel or sub-parallel furrows and ridges Amazonis Sulci, east of Elysium, Mars Express

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Dorsum (dorsa): a ridge Dorsum Gordii, Medusa Fossæ area west of Tharsis, THEMIS IR image to left

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Crater: a circular depression or impact feature _ Crater with ice in Vastitas Borealis, Mars Express _ Hellas, MOLA _ Phobos, Stickney Crater

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Catena (catenæ): a line or chain of craters or subsidence pits Coprates Catenæ: impacts or subsidence pitting?

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Mensa (mensæ): mesa or flat-topped prominence with steep sides Ausonia Mensa in southwest Hesperia Planum

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Lingula (lingulæ): extension of plateau having rounded lobate boundaries Australe Lingulæ

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Rupes: scarp Cerberus Rupes, MOC

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Scopulus (scopuli): a lobate or irregular scarp Not sure where I got this one or where it is

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Colles: small hills or knobs Ariadnes Colles in Cimmeria, MOC, possibly eroded remnants of deposits on crater floor

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Tholus, tholi: small conical mountain or hill Uranius Tholus, Tharsis, Viking

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Mons (montes): large mountain (as in really large, on Mars) Olympus Mons

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Patera (pateræ): an irregular crater or volcano with scalloped edges _ Alba Patera (now Alba Mons, with patera reserved for craters on top) _ Apollinaris Patera

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Polygonal terrain South Polar Region, MOC

C.M. Rodrigue, 2015 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Mars Features – Undæ: dunes Sand Hills of Nili Patera, Syrtis Major, MOC