Abstract

The structurally complex region of Tempe Terra, located in the northeast of the Tharsis Rise on Mars, preserves deformation related to the growth of Tharsis and lies along the trendline formed by the Tharsis Montes volcanoes. We characterise the spatiotemporal tectonic evolution of Tempe Terra based on comprehensive structural mapping. From this mapping, we identified 16 cross-cutting fault sets and placed these in relative time order, based on a hybrid approach using cross-cutting relationships and buffered crater counting. We are thus able to provide a broad framework for understanding the timing of development for the Tharsis Rise and Tharsis Montes axial trend. Our work shows that Tempe Terra has experienced three distinct stages of tectonic activity from the Middle Noachian to the Late Hesperian. Stage 1 involved E--W extension followed by localised NE--SW extension, which produced local zones of N and NW faulting through the centre and west of Tempe Terra in the Noachian. Stage 2 produced intense NE-oriented faulting concentrated along the Tharsis Montes axial trend in the Early Hesperian as a result of a discrete period of NW--SE extension and local volcanism. Stage 3 involved NW--SE extension coinciding with Tharsis volcanic activity, which generated a regional fabric of ENE-trending graben distributed across Tempe Terra from the Early to Late Hesperian. We observe an overall peak in tectonic activity in the Early Hesperian and find that Tharsis-related extensional deformation in the form of NE-oriented radial faulting did not start in Tempe Terra until this time.