Structural evolution of Galileo Regio, dark terrain of Ganymede.

Galileo Regio is a dark terrain of Ganymede extending approximately from 180°-120° W to 0°-60° N that shows high crater density and morphotectonic structures called furrows. Such structures are kilometric-scale brittle troughs bounded by high albedo rims and a low albedo floor, and arranged with circumferential and radial setting at the regional scale [1]. Furrows are generally interpreted as the remnants of a multi-ring impact basin similar to the Valhalla basin on Callisto [2]. Galileo Regio shows two main settings of the furrows, which allow their classification into two systems: the concentric furrows of Lakhmu Fossae system, which is crosscut by the radial furrows of the Zu Fossae system [3]. In addition, Galileo Regio shows local-scale structures that rework the pristine morphology of the Lakhmu Fossae furrows.

In this contribution, we investigate the furrows of Galileo Regio at both regional- and local-scale to unravel the tectonic evolution of the dark terrain. We perform a structural mapping and geostatistical analyses of the furrows in Galileo Regio, identifying their hierarchy and tectonic setting originated by regional-scale kinematics. Structure attributes such as structure length, sinuosity, azimuth, spacing within the adjacent structures, have been quantitatively characterized and allow to perform the azimuthal distribution, the Length/Spacing [5] and the paleo-stress analyses [6]. Such analyses allow to identify the structural systems and to infer the past stress fields that affected Galileo Regio (maximum and minimum horizontal stress, i.e., SHmax and Shmin, respectively). A total of four structural systems have been recognized within Galileo Regio: i) the already known Lakhmu and Zu Fossae; and ii) the Lineated system and Precursor system, proposed by this work for the first time (Fig. 1).

Such systems are the result of phases of the tectonic activity that affected Galileo Regio during the geologic history of Ganymede. We identify the sequence of such phases that allow to produce an evolutionary tectonic model (Fig. 2): i) t0 represents a NW-SE extension that formed the Lineated system; ii) t1 represents the impact that originated a multi-ring basin [3, 7], i.e., the Lakhmu Fossae; iii) t2 shows the extensional activity responsible for the formation of the light terrain of Uruk Sulcus [8] and for the formation of the extensional structures of the Precursor system; iv) t3 represents the kinematics consistent with the right-lateral transpression that has affected Uruk Sulcus [4] and formed the Zu Fossae; and v) t4 presents a right-lateral strike-slip that contributes to the formation of the Precursor system.

The obtained results and the presented model will be used for the scientific preparation of dedicated high-resolution observations that will be taken with the JANUS instrument [9] onboard the JUICE mission [10].

Acknowledgments: The activity has been realized under the ASI-INAF contract 2018-25-HH.0.

       

    

References:

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