Geomorphological features of rootless cones in Myvatn, Iceland in comparison with Martian candidates

Abstract:

Rootless cones (RC) have not been paid much attention so far because of their limited locations and their small size. They are formed by repeated phreatovolcanic explosions by lava-waterlogged sediments interactions. While the distribution is limited on the Earth, they have been pervasively recognized on Mars (e.g., Greeley and Fagents, 2001) and considered as a key marker in identifying lava flow. Although in-depth morphological comparisons are necessary, the terrestrial standard is not sufficient. Recent studies have clarified detailed characteristics of the distribution in the context of lava flow dynamics in Laki, Iceland (Hamilton et al., 2010a,b). However, we are still lacking of sufficient data of the morphology. To construct the terrestrial reference, we performed survey in Myvatn, Iceland.
About 2300 years ago, lava flowed into old-Lake Myvatn, then formed RCs (Thorarinsson, 1953). There exists 3 morphological types; Single Cone (SC), a conical edifice with a summit crater, Double Cone (DC), composed of an inner cone with a summit crater within the summit crater of an outer cone, and multiple cone, similar to DC but with several inner cones. Through aerial photo survey, 1154 RCs (1056 are SC, 78 are DC and 20 are multiple one) are identified in this area. To know high-resolution topography of them, we apply kinematic GPS. Constituent materials of RCs are analyzed focusing on their bulk density, vesicularity, and grain size distribution.
Geomorphological features of RCs are strongly correlated with its location and constituent materials. The crater diameter/bottom diameter ratio of cone, which is considered as an indicator of the explosivity, is larger around the lake and smaller far way from the lava source. This suggests an importance of available thermal energy as well as the water supply. The edifice morphology is grouped into 5 types; I: constant slopes that reach the repose angle; II: constant slopes lower than the repose angle; III: variable slopes with a step; IV: variable slopes that get steeper with higher altitude; and V: variable and small slope angles. We found these types correspond to their constituent materials and volumes. In this presentation, we show the relationship between RC morphology and other parameters, which can be useful as well as the planetary volcanology.