Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Thursday, July 30th 1:15-2:30pm EDT
Abstract: Much of the sediment on Venus’ surface is derived from impact cratering. Such sediment is ejected into the planet’s atmosphere during impact events and eventually settles on the surface in a parabola-shaped deposit. Although these ejecta deposits have been mapped, the total amount of sediment on the surface of Venus is not well constrained. To calculate this unknown volume, we have mapped ejecta thickness contours onto preserved parabolic deposits using ArcGIS. Multiplying the calculated thickness of every point-source in a parabola by its surface area yields a total volume of ejecta for each crater. These crater contributions can then be summed to obtain a global volume of sediment. Using this approach we have created a map that displays the cumulative volume of impact-derived sediment at any location on Venus, and estimate the planet’s total budget of sediment to be 2.9 x 10^5 km^3. This preliminary estimate yields a sediment accumulation rate of 0.00058 km^3/year over the past 500 million years, which is comparable to a global estimate of 0.01 to 0.1 nm/year of sediment production via erosion on Mars during the Hesperian and Amazonian. The calculated Venusian sediment budget and the cumulative volume map presented here can be used to identify possible dune fields and locations of other aeolian features on the surface of the planet.
Ganey_poster-Terra-GaneyLive Poster Session: Zoom Link
Thursday, July 30th 1:15-2:30pm EDT