List of plains on Mars

Last updated

This is a list of plains on Mars . Such features are named after the nearest classical albedo feature in compliance with the International Astronomical Union's rules of planetary nomenclature. Plains may be named denoted "planitia" or "planum", depending on height.

Contents

Planitia

Planitia (plural: planitiae) is Latin for plain. It is the IAU descriptor term for features which are "low plains".

NameCoordinatesSize (km)
Acidalia Planitia 50°N21°W / 50°N 21°W / 50; -21 (Acidalia Planitia) 3400
Amazonis Planitia 26°N163°W / 26°N 163°W / 26; -163 (Amazonis Planitia) 2800
Arcadia Planitia 47°N176°W / 47°N 176°W / 47; -176 (Arcadia Planitia) 1900
Argyre Planitia 50°S43°W / 50°S 43°W / -50; -43 (Argyre Planitia) 900
Chryse Planitia 29°N40°W / 29°N 40°W / 29; -40 (Chryse Planitia) 1500
Elysium Planitia 3°N155°E / 3°N 155°E / 3; 155 (Elysium Planitia) 3000
Eridania Planitia 38°S122°E / 38°S 122°E / -38; 122 (Eridania Planitia) 1100
Hellas Planitia 42°30′S70°30′E / 42.5°S 70.5°E / -42.5; 70.5 (Hellas Planitia) 2300
Isidis Planitia 14°N88°E / 14°N 88°E / 14; 88 (Isidis Planitia) 1200
Utopia Planitia 47°N118°E / 47°N 118°E / 47; 118 (Utopia Planitia) 3600

Plana

Planum (plural: plana) is the Latin word for plateau. It is the IAU descriptor term for plateaus and high plains.

NameLatitudeLongitudeDiameter (km)
Aeolis Planum0.79 S145.0 E820
Amenthes Planum3.16 N105.7 E960
Aonia Planum57.71 S281.0 E650
Argentea Planum69.79 S292.0 E1750
Ascuris Planum40.38 N279.2 E500
Aurorae Planum10.38 S310.8 E600
Bosporus Planum 34.2 S295.1 E700
Daedalia Planum 21.78 S232.0 E1800
Hesperia Planum 22.27 S110.0 E1700
Icaria Planum 43.18 S253.5 E650
Lucus Planum 3.96 S182.0 E864
Lunae Planum 10.38 N294.0 E1800
Malea Planum64.75 S65.0 E900
Meridiani Planum 0.2 N357.5 E1100
Nepenthes Planum12.46 N113.4 E1660
Oenotria Plana8 S76 E925
Olympia Planum81.91 N195.0 E1000
Ophir Planum8.7 S302.5 E650
Oxia Planum [1] 18.275 N335.368 E
Parva Planum75.85 S257.0 E750
Planum Angustum79.69 S276.5 E200
Planum Australe 83.93 S160.0 E1450
Planum Boreum 87.98 N15.0 E1100
Planum Chronium59.72 S140.0 E550
Promethei Planum78.88 S90.0 E850
Sinai Planum 13.35 S272.0 E900
Sisyphi Planum69.79 S5.0 E1100
Solis Planum 25.25 S273.5 E1700
Syria Planum 13.06 S256.1 E740
Syrtis Major Planum 8.41 N69.5 E1350
Thaumasia Planum24.45 S295.7 E650
Zephyria Planum0.99 S153.1 E550

Interactive Mars map

Interactive image map of the global topography of Mars. Hover your mouse over the image to see the names of over 60 prominent geographic features, and click to link to them. Coloring of the base map indicates relative elevations, based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. Whites and browns indicate the highest elevations (+12 to +8 km); followed by pinks and reds (+8 to +3 km); yellow is 0 km; greens and blues are lower elevations (down to -8 km). Axes are latitude and longitude; Polar regions are noted.
(See also: Mars Rovers map and Mars Memorial map) (view * discuss) Mars Map.JPGCydonia MensaeGale craterHolden craterJezero craterLomonosov craterLyot craterMalea PlanumMaraldi craterMareotis TempeMie craterMilankovič craterSisyphi Planum
Interactive icon.svg Interactive image map of the global topography of Mars. Hover your mouse over the image to see the names of over 60 prominent geographic features, and click to link to them. Coloring of the base map indicates relative elevations, based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor . Whites and browns indicate the highest elevations (+12 to +8 km); followed by pinks and reds (+8 to +3 km); yellow is 0 km; greens and blues are lower elevations (down to −8 km). Axes are latitude and longitude; Polar regions are noted.

Related Research Articles

Planetary nomenclature

Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. Since the invention of the telescope, astronomers have given names to the surface features they have discerned, especially on the Moon and Mars. To found an authority on planetary nomenclature, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) was organized in 1919 to designate and standardize names for features on Solar System bodies.

Canso (Martian crater) Crater on Mars

Canso is a Martian crater. It lies about 450 kilometres west of the Viking 1 lander, slightly northeast of Lunae Planum, and west of Chryse Planitia, in the Lunae Palus quadrangle. The crater is named after Canso, a fishing town in Nova Scotia. The name was officially adopted in 1988 by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN).

Davies (crater)

Davies is a crater on Mars located at 46°N 0°E on the fringe of Acidalia Planitia near Arabia Terra. It is approximately 48 km in diameter. The crater's name was formally approved by the IAU in 2006.

Tholus Small domical mountain or hill

In planetary nomenclature, a tholus is a small domical mountain or hill. The word is from the Greek θόλος, tholos, which means a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof. The Romans transliterated the word into the Latin tholus, which means cupola or dome. In 1973, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted tholus as one of a number of official descriptor terms for topographic features on Mars and other planets and satellites. One justification for using neutral Latin or Greek descriptors was that it allowed features to be named and described before their geology or geomorphology could be determined. For example, many tholi appear to be volcanic in origin, but the term does not imply a specific geologic origin. Currently, the IAU recognizes 56 descriptor terms. Tholi are present on Venus, Mars, asteroid 4 Vesta, dwarf planet Ceres, and on Jupiter's moon Io.

Suisei Planitia is a large area of smooth plains on Mercury, approximately 570 km wide. Ghost craters are unusual forms that occur in the Suisei Planitia. They are buried and rounded in profile, with only their rim crests rising above the surrounding smooth plains. It has been suggested that material forming Suisei Planitia is ejecta from the impact that formed Caloris Planitia. The name for this Planitia was approved in 1976 by the IAU.

Acidalia Colles Group of hills in the Mare Acidalium quadrangle of Mars

Acidalia Colles is a group of hills in the Mare Acidalium quadrangle of Mars, located at 50.9° north latitude and 23.1° west longitude. It is about 360 km long and was named after a classical albedo feature name. The term "Colles" is used for small hills or knobs. Gullies have been observed on Acidalia Colles.

Ibragimov (crater)

Ibragimov is a crater on Mars. It is named after the Azerbaijani and Soviet astrophysicist Nadir Baba Ogly Ibragimov. Ibragimov crater is located in the eastern part of Thaumasia Planum. Its diameter is 87 km.

Santa Maria is an impact crater on Mars, located at 2.172°S, 5.445°W within the Meridiani Planum extraterrestrial plain, lying situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region.

Hesperia Planum Broad lava plain in the southern highlands of the planet Mars

Hesperia Planum is a broad lava plain in the southern highlands of the planet Mars. The plain is notable for its moderate number of impact craters and abundant wrinkle ridges. It is also the location of the ancient volcano Tyrrhena Mons. The Hesperian time period on Mars is named after Hesperia Planum.

Mons (planetary nomenclature)

Mons is a mountain on a celestial body. The term is used in planetary nomenclature: it is a part of the international names of such features. It is capitalized and usually stands after the proper given name, but stands before it in the case of lunar mountains.

Collis (planetary nomenclature)

Collis is a small hill or knob on a celestial body. The term is used in planetary nomenclature: it is a part of international proper names of such features. Like other generic terms, it is capitalized and stands after the proper name. As of 2015, only groups of the hills have names, and the term is used only in plural.

Darwin (Martian crater)

Darwin is an impact crater on Mars, located at 57°S 19°E to the southeast of Argyre Planitia in Noachis Terra. It is approximately 176 km in diameter. The crater's name was formally approved by the IAU in 1973.

Roddenberry (crater)

Roddenberry is a crater on Mars, located at 49°S 4°W to the east of Argyre Planitia in Noachis Terra. It measures approximately 139 kilometers in diameter. The crater is named after Gene Roddenberry, creator of the television series Star Trek, and was formally approved by the IAU in 1994.

Arrhenius (Martian crater) Crater on Mars

Arrhenius is an impact crater in the Eridania quadrangle on Mars at 40.3° S and 237.4° W. and is 129.0 km (80.2 mi) in diameter. Its name, for Svante Arrhenius, was approved in 1973 by the IAU. Evidence of previous glacial activity is evident in images. There also appear to be branched channels just outside the crater.

Patera (planetary nomenclature)

Patera is an irregular crater, or a complex crater with scalloped edges on a celestial body. Paterae can have any origin, although majority of them were created by volcanism. The term comes from Latin language, where it refers to a shallow bowl used in antique culture.

References

  1. Bridges, John (July 1, 2015). "Clay-Rich Terrain in Oxia Planum: A Proposed ExoMars Landing Site". Arizona University . Retrieved October 21, 2015.

This article was based on the USGS's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.