Mars: NomenclatureMars: NomenclatureSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Slide 15Slide 16Slide 17Slide 18Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Slide 25Slide 26Slide 27Slide 28Slide 29C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureGeography 494-01S/07Dr. Christine M. RodrigueC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars Naming ConventionsThe International Astronomical Union (IAU) governs planetary nomenclatureNew features identified, tentatively named, and the IAU peer-reviews the name for all planetsWorking Group for Planetary System NomenclatureOnce approved, names go into the Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureThis is housed at the USGS Astrogeology Research Program: http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars Naming ConventionsMars Features: Conventions for Naming Features Albedo Features: Names from classical mythology originally assigned by Schiaparelli and Antoniadi Large craters (craters > ~60 km): Dead scientists who contributed to the study of Mars; writers and others who added to the lore of MarsSmall craters (craters < ~60 km): Villages and towns on Earth having populations < 100,000 Large valles: Name for "Mars" or "star" in various languages Small valles: Classical or modern names of rivers Other features: From a nearby named albedo feature on Schiaparelli or Antoniadi maps Deimos: Authors who wrote about Martian satellites Phobos: Scientists involved with the study of the Martian satellites, and characters and places from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's TravelsC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars: A Whole New Vocabulary!Why?!?Familiar geographical and geological terms are generally too misleading to use in an environment we can’t visit and understand in its own contextCalling something a “valley” implies the kind of fluvial and glacial erosion responsible for valleys hereAnalogies may not apply, at least not yetTo avoid that temptation to analogies, the IAU has created a formal vocabulary to use in extraterrestrial contextsWe have to understand Mars (or any other extraterrestrial object) in its own terms and contextSorry!C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesVastitas (vastitates) : An extensive, vast plainC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesPlanum (plana) : A plateau or high plainMeridiani Planum seen from Opportunity’s PancamC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesPlanitia (planitiæ) : A low-lying plain or lowlandElysium PlanitiaC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesTerra (terræ) : An extensive land massArabia TerraC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesChaos: an area of broken or blocky terrain Aram ChaosC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesCavus (cavi): a hollow or irregular, steep sided depression, often in clusters Sysiphi Cavi (South Polar Layered Terrain)C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesChasma (chasmata): a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression Ganges Chasma (eastern end of Valles Marineris system)C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesVallis (valles): a valley or canyonMa’adim Vallis (Viking image)(and Gusev Crater, where Spirit landed)C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesFossa (fossæ): a long, narrow depressionClaritas Fossæ, in Solis Planum, taken by HRSC on Mars ExpressC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesLabes: landslideValles MarinerisC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesLabyrinthus (labyrinthi): complex of intersecting valleys or ridges Noctis Labyrinthus map (west of Valles Marineris, east of Pavonis Mons)C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesSulcus (sulci): parallel or sub-parallel furrows and ridges Amazonis Sulci, east of Elysium, Mars ExpressC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesDorsum (dorsa): a ridgeDorsum Gordii, Medusa Fossæ area west of Tharsis, THEMIS IR image to leftC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesCrater: a circular depression or impact feature Crater with ice in Vastitas Borealis, Mars ExpressHellas, MOLAPhobos, Stickney CraterC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesCatena (catenæ): a line or chain of cratersCoprates Catenæ: impacts or pitting?C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesMensa (mensæ): mesa or flat-topped prominence with steep sidesAusonia Mensa in southwest Hesperia PlanumC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesLingula (lingulæ): extension of plateau having rounded lobate boundaries Australe LingulæC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesRupes: scarpCerberus Rupes, MOCC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesScopulus (scopuli): a lobate or irregular scarpNot sure where I got this one or where it isC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesColles: small hills or knobsAriadnes Colles in Cimmeria, MOC, possibly eroded remnants of deposits on crater floorC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesTholus, tholi: small conical mountain or hillUranius Tholus, Tharsis, VikingC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesMons (montes): large mountain (as in really large, on Mars)Olympus MonsC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesPatera (pateræ): an irregular crater or volcano with scalloped edgesAlba Patera Apollinaris PateraC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesTessera (tesseræ): tile-like or polygonal terrain South Polar Region, MOCC.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULBMars: NomenclatureMars FeaturesUndæ: dunesSand Hills of Nili Patera, Syrtis Major,