Theia Mons

Coordinates: 22°42′N 281°00′E / 22.7°N 281.0°E / 22.7; 281.0
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Theia Mons
Feature typeShield volcano
LocationBeta Regio, Venus
Coordinates22°42′N 281°00′E / 22.7°N 281.0°E / 22.7; 281.0[1]
Diameter226.0 km
Peak~6 km (above planetary mean)[2]
EponymTheia

Theia Mons is a large highland shield volcano on the planet Venus. Located near the center of Beta Regio, a large region of recent volcanic uplift due to a currently active mantle plume,[3] Theia Mons is situated at the junction of three branches of Devana Chasma, an extensive rift system.[4] It is named after Theia, a Titan from Greek mythology; the name Theia Mons was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1979.[5][1]

Geology[edit]

Situated in a region of widespread tectonic activity, Theia Mons formed after rifting at Devana Chasma was initiated. Three major rifts radiate from Theia Mons's edifice. The south arm—which extends to Phoebe Regio—and the north arm collectively comprise Devana Chasma. The southwest arm, which is smaller, forms Žverine Chasma. Volcanic flows from Theia Mons largely fill in these rift branches up to 300 kilometers from its central caldera. The location of these rifts suggest that Theia Mons's formation and evolution may be linked to an apparent triple junction between Devana Chasma and Žverine Chasma.[6][2]

Theia Mons is surrounded by a large radial dike swarm and has four major groups of lava flows near its summit caldera. The oldest group of lava flows do not appear to originate from the caldera, and are partially obscured by younger generations of lava flows. A group of lava flows north of Theia Mons also do not appear to originate from its central caldera, and may have been sourced from an older caldera that was later destroyed by rifting at Devana Chasma. The longest lava flows from the central caldera exceed 700 kilometers in length, and the combined area of the lava flows is approximately 650,000 km2 (250,000 sq mi).[3]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Theia Mons". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. (Center Latitude: 22.7°, Center Longitude: 281.0°)
  2. ^ a b Rathbun, Julie A.; Janes, Daniel M.; Squyres, Steven W. (25 January 1999). "Formation of Beta Regio, Venus' Results from measuring strain". Journal of Geophysical Research. 104 (E1): 1917–1928. Bibcode:1999JGR...104.1917R. doi:10.1029/1998JE900026.
  3. ^ a b Shimolina, A. S.; Ernst, R. E.; El Bilali, H. (March 2023). Lava Flows of Theia Mons Volcano, Beta Regio Plume Centre, Venus (PDF). 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. The Woodlands, Texas, United States and virtually. Bibcode:2023LPICo2806.1159S. 1159.
  4. ^ Senske, D. A.; Schaber, G. G.; Stofan, E.R. (25 August 1992). "Regional topographic rises on Venus: Geology of Western Eistla Regio and comparison to Beta Regio and Atla Regio". Journal of Geophysical Research. 97 (E8): 13395–13420. Bibcode:1992JGR....9713395S. doi:10.1029/92JE01167.
  5. ^ Carolynn Young, ed. (1 August 1990). The Magellan Venus Explorer' Guide. NASA.
  6. ^ Stofan, E. R.; Head, J. W.; Campbell, D. B.; Zisk, S. H.; Bogomolov, A. F.; Rzhiga, O. N.; Basilevsky, A. T.; Armand, N. (1 January 1989). "Geology of a Rift Zone on Venus: Beta Regio and Devana Chasma". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 101: 143–156. Bibcode:1989GSAB..101..143S. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1989)101<0143:GOARZO>2.3.CO;2.
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