[X] My Assistant

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

A Primordial and Complicated Ocean of Magma on Mars

--- Geophysical and geochemical calculations indicate that total melting of Mars during its formation could have led to large-scale heterogeneities in its mantle.

Written by G. Jeffrey Taylor
Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
posted March 31, 2006

[dvandorn]

Actually, Richard, I would be more prepared to believe that Hellas *is* an impact basin that has been highly modified by, among other things, crustal subduction along fault lines created by the impact.

A thorough analysis of the height of the ridges around Hellas actually shows that there is more material in what appear to be the basin rings than would fit back into the basin itself. This could happen if the crust were being pushed up around Hellas by subduction. Or had been in the past.

All in all, the boundaries of Hellas are a pretty good place to look for ancient subduction zones in the Martian crust.

-the other Doug