Evolution of Thrace Macula on Europa: Strike-slip tectonic control and
Identification of the youngest terrains
- Pietro Matteoni,
- Alicia Neesemann,
- Ralf Jaumann,
- Jon K. Hillier,
- Frank Postberg
Pietro Matteoni
Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin
Corresponding Author:[email protected]
Author ProfileRalf Jaumann
Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin
Author ProfileJon K. Hillier
Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin
Author ProfileAbstract
Chaos terrains are geologically young and extensively disrupted surface
features of Europa, thought to be an expression of the subsurface ocean
interacting with the surface. The most prominent examples of this
terrain on Europa are Conamara Chaos, and Thera and Thrace Maculae, all
prime targets for the upcoming JUICE and Europa Clipper missions to
assess the astrobiological potential of Europa. Of the three features,
Thrace Macula is currently the least studied and understood. It
intersects both Agenor Linea to the north and Libya Linea to the south,
two important regional-scale bands whose interaction with Thrace is yet
to be fully unraveled, especially in terms of their relative ages of
emplacement and activity. Through detailed structural mapping using
Galileo Solid State Imager data and terrain analysis on Digital Terrain
Models, we here develop a novel hypothesis on the mechanisms that have
been involved in the study area. We find that Thrace Macula is bordered
along most sides by preexisting strike-slip faults that have constrained
its emplacement and areal distribution. We determine a sequence of
events in the area involving the formation of Agenor Linea, followed by
that of Libya Linea first and Thrace Macula later, and ultimately by
strike-slip tectonic activity driven by Libya Linea and displacing a
portion of Thrace Macula. Therefore, Thrace's subsurface material,
uprising along faults postdating its formation, likely represents the
freshest possible that could be sampled by future spacecraft in this
region, a major consideration for the upcoming Europa Clipper mission.09 May 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive 25 May 2023Published in ESS Open Archive