Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The formational history of Artemis, a 2,600 km diameter feature in the Aphrodite Terra of Venus, is currently the subject of much debate: Several possibilities for its origin exist, three of which are presented here. Brown and Grimm believe that multiple episodes of deformation occurring over an extended interval of time are required to construct Artemis. Notably, they claim that the interior deformation was completed before a mantle flow current pulled it towards the southeast to create Artemis Chasma. In contrast, Spencer argues for a contemporaneous formation of Artemis. He interprets the largest interior antiform as a giant metamorphic core complex, similar to inside corner highs found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth. Hansen provides another explanation, suggesting that the pattern of deformation in Artemis can be attributed to several coronae surfacing in one concentrated area and pushing out a trough to form the chasma. None of these hypotheses have been irrefutably proven or denied, and so all remain possible explanations of Artemis’s origin. The Nightingale Corona, located in Ishtar Terra, is a fifth of the size of Artemis. It is presented here as a potentially useful comparative feature because of its smaller size and lower level of internal complexity. A basic understanding of its morphology and formational history may ease the transition to analyzing more complexly deformed features, such as Artemis. A map of the morphometric units of the Nightingale Corona, along with detailed descriptions and interpretations for each section, is included.
Date Awarded
2005
Department
Geology
Advisor 1
Christopher M. Bailey
Recommended Citation
Philippoff, Andrea Jean, "A Morphometric Analysis of te Venusian Nightingale Corona and a Portrayal of Three Distinct Orogenic Hypotheses for Artemis" (2005). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 155.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/155
