Abstract
The distribution and character of Venus's impact craters led to the widely accepted idea that Venus underwent global catastrophic resurfacing ca. 500 Ma, and thus Venus records only a short history, encompassing surface evolution since postulated catastrophic resurfacing. Ribbon tessera terrain (RTT), a structurally distinctive unit, represents some of Venus's oldest surfaces, and is widely accepted as forming prior to postulated global catastrophic resurfacing. We constructed a global geologic map of RTT unit exposures and structural trends using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Magellan data. Map relations illustrate that RTT displays planet-scale patterns that, together with altimetry, record a rich geologic history that predates proposed global catastrophic resurfacing.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 311-314 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Geology |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2010 |