C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature Geography S/07 Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Vastitas (vastitates) : An extensive, vast plain

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Planum (plana) : A plateau or high plain  Meridiani Planum seen from Opportunity’s Pancam

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Planitia (planitiæ) : A low-lying plain or lowland  Elysium Planitia

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Terra (terræ) : An extensive land mass  Arabia Terra

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Chaos: an area of broken or blocky terrain  Aram Chaos

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Labes: landslide  Valles Marineris

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Catena (catenæ): a line or chain of craters  Coprates Catenæ: impacts or pitting?

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 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, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Lingula (lingulæ): extension of plateau having rounded lobate boundaries  Australe Lingulæ

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Rupes: scarp  Cerberus Rupes, MOC

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 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, 2007 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, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Tholus, tholi: small conical mountain or hill  Uranius Tholus, Tharsis, Viking

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Mons (montes): large mountain (as in really large, on Mars)  Olympus Mons

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Patera (pateræ): an irregular crater or volcano with scalloped edges  Alba Patera  Apollinaris Patera

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Tessera (tesseræ): tile-like or polygonal terrain  South Polar Region, MOC

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Nomenclature  Mars Features  Undæ: dunes  Sand Hills of Nili Patera, Syrtis Major, MOC