ELEVATION ELEVATION

KILOMETERS KILOMETERS

A A'

ELEVATION ELEVATION

KILOMETERS KILOMETERS

B B'

Olympia Planum Olympia Cavi Olympia Cavi

Olympia

Rupēs

DISTANCE (KILOMETERS)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

DISTANCE (KILOMETERS)

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION X 20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

–3.5

–4.0

–4.5

–3.5

–3.5

–4.0

–4.5

–5.0

–3.5

–4.0

–4.5

–5.0

–4.0

–4.5 ? ?

? ?

SCHEMATIC CROSS SECTIONS

[Not to map scale. Thickness of surficial units exaggerated for clarity; unit Ab3

represented as thick gray line at surface]

Olympia Planum Olympia Cavi Olympia Cavi

? ? ?

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Ab2

Ab2

Aoc1

Aoc1

Aoc1

Aoc1

Ab3

Ab3

Aoc3

Aou

Aou

Aou

Aoc2

Aoc3 Aoc3

Ab3

Ab2

Ab2

Aoc2

Ab1

Ab2

Aou

Aou

Ab1

Ab1

Ab1

Ab1 Ab1

Aoc2

O l y m p i a C a v i

O L Y M P I A P L A N U M

O l y m p i a U n d a e

P L A N U M

B O R E U M

B o r e a l e s S c o p u l i 

G e m i n i

S c

o

p

u l i

G e m i n a L i n g u l a

Chasma Boreale

S C A N D I A C O L L E S

V A S T I T A S B O R E A L I

S

Scandia Tholi

Abalos Colles

Korolev

V A S T I T A S B O R E A

L

I

S

Rupes Tenuis

0° E

270° E 90° E

64° N

MTM 85080

MTM

85200

180° E

O l y m p i a

C a v i

O l y m p i a C a v i

O L Y M P I A P L A N U M

P L A N U M

B O R E U M

B o r e a l e s

S c o p u l i

Olympia Rupēs

Olympia

Rupēs

O l y m p i a U n d a e

A′

A

B

B′

–2612

–2938

–3265

–3591

–3918

–4244

–4570

–4897

Figure 1. Color shaded-relief image of MTM 85200 constructed from a digital elevation model of 

Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data (512 pixels/degree; ~115 m/pixel). Underlying hillshade is artificially illuminated from the southeast (lower right). Dashed white line identifies Olympia Rupēs, 

sinuous scarps that roughly separate the narrow troughs of Boreales Scopuli (located within Planum 

Boreum) from the rugged depressions of Olympia Cavi (located within Olympia Planum). The 

height of the scarp is ~500 m. Lines A–A' and B–B' identify locations of the schematic cross 

sections.

180° E

87.5° N140° E

82.5° N

ELEVATION

(meters)

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

ø

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !( !( ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! !

! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

KILOMETERS

10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

160°

SCALE 1:500 000 (1 mm = 500 m ) AT 87.5° LATITUDE

POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

South

North

West

East

82.5°

82.5°

83°

83°

84°

84°

85°

85°

86°

86°

87.5°

87.5°

87°

87°

140°

140°

145°

155°

150°

155°

150°

145°

165°

170°

175°

180°

A

A'

B'

B

165°

170°

175°

180°

160°

Prepared for the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Prepared on behalf of the Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, 

Solar System Exploration Division, Office of Space Science, National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration

Cartography by Darlene A. Ryan

Manuscript approved for publication December 9, 2011

Descriptions of nomenclature used on map are listed at 

http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/

Geologic Map of the MTM 85200 Quadrangle, Olympia Rupes Region of Mars

By

James A. Skinner, Jr., and Kenneth E. Herkenhoff

2012

DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS

The geologic units that occur within the boundaries of MTM 85200 quadrangle are part of 

the Borealis physiographic province, as defined by Tanaka and others (2005). Within this 

province, we group geologic units into Boreum region and Olympia region units. The paucity of 

impact craters in the map area precludes the confident assignment of stratigraphic divisions 

using crater statistics; epochs are assigned based on the contextual work of Blasius and others 

(1982), Herkenhoff and Plaut (2000), Tanaka (2005), Tanaka and others (2005, 2008), and 

Tanaka and Fortezzo (2012). Unit groupings, appearance, and stratigraphic relations were 

determined primarily by their appearance in base maps, which provided the most consistent 

areal extent and resolution; supplemental data sets provided unit characteristics, where they 

were consistently observed and critical to the interpretation (see text for elaboration). Relative 

ages, areas, and superposition relations are provided in table 1. 

BOREALIS PROVINCE

GEOLOGIC UNITS OF THE BOREUM REGION

Planum Boreum 3 unit—Very high albedo, smooth (at decameter scale) unit. 

Occurs on inter-trough polar flats. Has sharp margins on equator-facing trough 

rims. South of Olympia Rupēs, margins serrated. Pole-facing margins 

commonly contain low-albedo sinuous striations and local pebbly surface 

textures. Drapes all underlying strata, including exposed layers of the Planum 

Boreum 1 and 2 units. Locally grades with Olympia Cavi 3 and Olympia 

Undae units. Locally contains linear ridges, swales, and subtle scarps (<10 m 

high). Type locality: lat 84.3° N., long 153.9° E. Interpretation: Extent of 1976 

residual water-ice cap, which fluctuates interannually by tens to hundreds of 

meters (Byrne and others, 2008). Includes small amounts of dark dust and (or) 

coarse-grained ice, particularly on pole-facing slopes. “Pebbly” texture is 

patchy frost cover. Marginal serrations may represent eolian redistribution of 

frost or lateral thinning of unit, which locally exposes subjacent units. Ridges 

formed by combination of sublimation and eolian processes. Scarps and swales 

may reside in subjacent units

Planum Boreum 2 unit—Intermediate albedo, smooth (at kilometer scale) unit. 

Weak, meter-scale stratification, with several pebbly-texture layers observed. 

Distinguished from underlying Planum Boreum 1 unit by lack of fine-scale, 

rhythmic stratification. North of Olympia Rupēs, occurs on pole-facing slopes 

near trough axes. South of Olympia Rupēs, forms narrow, layered outcrops at 

marginal crests of Olympia Cavi. Pole-facing outcrops contain low-albedo, 

sinuous striations and splotches. Buries (and locally grades with) the Olympia 

Undae and Cavi 3 units. Forms patches that fill shallow depressions within 

Olympia Cavi 2 unit. Buries (and locally truncates) layers of Planum Boreum 1 

unit. Contains terminations of long, linear, topographically subtle scarps. Type 

locality: lat 85.3° N., long 177.6° E. Interpretation: Late Amazonian ice and 

dust layers of variable thickness. Layers represent annual to decadal (or longer) 

deposition due to climate fluctuations. Ice component accumulated through 

direct deposition from atmosphere. Lithic component derived from erosion of 

subjacent units and (or) through atmospheric fallout. Locally undergoing 

thermokarst degradation. Forms sharp-crested ridges that are buried by Planum 

Boreum 3 unit. Ridges formed by combination of surface scour and sublimation. Dark splotches and striations represent irregular exposure of internal 

layering

Planum Boreum 1 unit—High- to intermediate-albedo, finely stratified unit. Crops 

out on equator-facing trough walls, particularly north of Olympia Rupēs. 

Meter- to decameter-scale, parallel, and rhythmic stratification. Contains 

hundreds of layers, some locally truncated, that form sequences of cliffs and 

slopes. North of Olympia Rupēs, unit is >1,200 m thick. South of Olympia 

Rupēs, unit is 100–500 m thick and thins to the south. Buries irregular surface 

and truncated layers of Olympia Cavi 1 unit. Contains berms, scarps, benches, 

and knobs. Type locality: lat 85.1° N., long 153.6° E. Interpretation: Middle to 

Late Amazonian ice and dust layers of laterally uniform thickness. Layers 

represent decadal to millennial (or longer) deposition due to climate fluctuations, as well as large-scale (but far-field) volcanic or impact events. Ice 

component accumulated through direct deposition from atmosphere. Lithic 

component derived from erosion of subjacent units and (or) through atmospheric fallout. Internal layer truncations represent localized erosion, which 

grade into parallel unconformities that represent nondeposition. Erosion and 

redeposition of this unit partly formed the Olympia Cavi 2 unit. Unit constitutes the volumetric bulk of Planum Boreum 

GEOLOGIC UNITS OF THE OLYMPIA REGION

Olympia Undae unit—Low-albedo, lineated to hummocky unit. Forms patches 

within Olympia Cavi and a band along northern Olympia Planum. Concentrated near base of topographic lows. Contains duneform shapes oriented in 

southwesterly to westerly direction. Grades downslope with Olympia Cavi 3 

unit. Locally grades with and buries Planum Boreum 2 unit. Spatially associated with erosion of Olympia Cavi units. Small patches (unmapped) occur near 

and grade from the downslope margin of Olympia Cavi 2 unit. Type locality: 

lat 84.9° N., long 149.8° E. Interpretation: Middle to Late Amazonian sand 

dunes. Transported and deposited by saltation via southwesterly winds or 

paleo-winds. Sourced from underlying Olympia Cavi units. May locally 

represent lag deposit. Lower contact temporally unconstrained. Upper contact 

represents cessation of (or ongoing) deposition or mobilization

Olympia Cavi 3 unit—Low-albedo, smooth to diffusely lineated unit with diffuse 

margins. Locally includes high-albedo patches. Occurs on pole-facing slopes of 

topographic depressions, including polar troughs and swales. Forms patches 

within and grades into Planum Boreum 2 unit. Locally contains dark, sinuous 

striations, swirled patterns, and linear hummocks. Locally obscures details of 

subjacent topography. Meter-scale maximum thickness. Grades with Planum 

Boreum 2 and Olympia Undae units. Type locality: lat 84.8° N., long 176.1° E. 

Interpretation: Late Amazonian sand sheet and lenses of discontinuous areal 

extent and thickness. May be locally exposed due to exhumation from beneath 

adjacent, younger units. Composed of unstratified fine-grained particles and 

ice. Unit may be sourced from the erosion and redeposition of higher-standing 

(but stratigraphically subjacent) units. Represents most recent accumulation of 

lithic particles following erosion of Planum Boreum 2 unit

Olympia Cavi 2 unit—Low- to intermediate-albedo, undulating, hummocky, and 

patchy unit. Occurs south of Olympia Rupēs, at base of scarps and on cavi 

slopes and floors. Distinguished from overlying Olympia Cavi 3 unit by 

occurrence of pits, scallops, and pebbly texture. Distinguished from underlying 

Olympia Cavi 1 unit by absence of tabular outcrops and benches. Locally 

forms on and buries narrow planar bench located above Planum Boreum 1 unit. 

Tens of meters maximum thickness. Locally forms irregularly shaped, layered 

patches on Olympia Cavi 1 unit. Type locality: lat 84.9° N., long 178.2° E. 

Interpretation: Middle to Late Amazonian dust and sand layered with (and 

bound by) ices. Drapes Planum Boreum 1 and Olympia Cavi 1 units and 

perhaps accumulated through the erosion and redeposition of those underlying 

units. Pits and scallops are thermokarst degradation landforms. Current 

outcrops may represent icy lag deposit. Lower contact temporally unconstrained. Upper contact represents period of erosion of indeterminate length

Olympia Cavi 1 unit—Variable, though generally low albedo, rugged, tabular, and 

slabby unit. Crops outs as bright-cliff- and dark-slope-forming materials on the 

equator-facing slopes of Olympia Cavi. Forms intricate, swirled patterns of 

light and dark tabular benches on deep cavi floors. Represents the lowest 

stratigraphic unit within the quadrangle. Spatially associated with Olympia 

Undae unit. Forms narrow benches and scarps along Olympia Rupēs. Extensively buried by patchy outcrops of the Olympia Cavi 2 unit south of Olympia 

Rupēs. Hundreds of meters in maximum thickness. Type locality: lat 84.3° N., 

long 158.7° E. Interpretation: Early to Late Amazonian sand and dust layered 

with (and internally bound by) ices. Tabular nature represents alternating 

accumulations of dusty ice and sand (Herkenhoff and others, 2007; Byrne, 

2009). Erosion provided sediment for transport and redeposition within 

overlying units. Lower contact temporally unconstrained. Upper contact 

represents period of erosion of indeterminate length. Represents eroded 

paleosurface upon which other mapped units were deposited. Lowermost strata 

may be partly equivalent to Planum Boreum rupēs unit mapped by Tanaka and 

Fortezzo (2012)

EXPLANATION OF MAP SYMBOLS

Contact—Dashed where approximate

Ridge crest—May represent extent and trend of multiple parallel ridges. Size of 

symbol may vary

Berm

Unconformity—Solid where angular truncations are observed; dotted where 

inferred parallel to local bedding

Swales—Axis of topographic undulation; solid where bounded by slopes >2°; 

dashed where bounded by slopes between 1 and 2°; slopes <1° not mapped

Scarp crest—Dashed where subdued or buried; hachures point downslope

Circular scarp or knob

Depression—Hachures point downslope

Sediment transport direction—Determined from duneform shape

Craterform

Late

Amazonian

Middle

Amazonian

Early

Amazonian

Late

Hesperian

* Physiographic province as defined by Tanaka and others (2005)

** Reference unit not found on this map. Represents Planum Boreum rupēs unit (HBbr) of Tanaka and others (2008)

 and Tanaka and Fortezzo (2012).

QUADRANGLE LOCATION

Mars Digital Image Mosaic showing locations of MTM 85200 

(map area) in blue and MTM 85080 (Herkenhoff, 2003) outline.

**

Figure 5

Figure 4

Figure 2

Figure 3

Physiographic province name

Geographic region

Geochronologic

subdivision

name

Geochronologic

subdivision,

major

Geochronologic

divisions unknown

or inferred

Geochronologic

subdivision,

minor

Stratigraphic nature of

upper contact certain;

cessation of deposition

Stratigraphic nature of

lower contact uncertain

Stratigraphic nature of

upper contact uncertain

Upper contact

generally defined by

unconformity;

erosion

Stratigraphic nature of

lower contact certain;

commencement of deposition

The horizontal placement of units 

relates to their predominent north-south 

distribution within the quadrangle

Length of unit does not imply length of 

time of deposition but, rather, crosscutting relations

CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS

BOREALIS PROVINCE* KEY

BOREUM REGION OLYMPIA REGION

Printed on recycled paper

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only 

and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, 

Denver, CO 80225, 1–888–ASK–USGS

Digital files available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3197

Suggested citation: Skinner, J.A., Jr., and Herkenhoff, K.E., 2012, Geologic map of the MTM 

85200 quadrangle, Olympia Rupes Region of Mars: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Map 3197, scale 1:500,000 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3197/).

-

O L Y M P I A P L A N U M

O l y m p i a U n d a e

P L A N U M B O R E U M

O l y m p i a

C a v i

O

l

y

m p i a

R

u

p ē s

O l y m p i a R u p ē s

O l

y m

p i

a

R

u

p

ē

s

O

l

y

m

p i

a

C a v i

O l y

m

p

i

a

C

a

v i

B

o

r

e

a

l

e

s

S c o p u l i

Aoc2

Ab1

Ab2

Aoc3

Aoc1

Aou

Ab3

Ab3

Ab2

Ab1

Aou

Aoc3

Aoc2

Aoc1

Ab3

Ab3

Ab3

Ab3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Ab1

Aoc2

Aoc1

Aoc3?

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc3

Aoc1

Aoc3

Ab2?

Ab3

Aoc3

Aoc1

Ab2

Ab2

Ab2

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Ab2

Ab2

Ab2

Ab2

Ab2

Ab2

Ab1

Aoc1

Aoc1

Ab1

Aoc1

Ab2

Aou

Aoc3?

Aoc3?

Aoc2

Aou

Aoc3

Aoc2

Ab2

Ab1

Ab1

Ab3

Aoc3

Ab3

Ab3

Ab3

Ab3

Ab2

Ab2

Aoc2

Ab3

Aou

Ab1

Ab1

Aoc3

Ab1

Ab1

Ab1

Aoc2

Ab2

Ab2

Ab1

Ab1

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc3

Aoc1

Ab2

Aoc2

Aoc3

Aoc1

Ab1

Aou

Aou

Aou

Aoc1

Aoc1

Aoc3

Aoc1

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Aoc2

Ab2

Ab2

Aou

Aou

Aoc2

Aoc1

Ab2?

Aou

Ab2

Ab2

Ab1 Ab2

Ab1

Ab1

Ab2

Aoc1

Ab2

Aoc3

Aoc3

AHBr

Ab3

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Map 3197

Atlas of Mars: MTM 85200 Quadrangle

Pamphlet accompanies map