FEM MODELING AND FRACTAL ANALYSIS OF CONCENTRIC AND RADIAL STRUCTURES ON ASCRAEUS MONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR MAGMA CHAMBER DEPTH.

The spatial distribution and orientation of dykes propagating from a shallow magma chamber is a key element in understanding the stress field and internal growth of volcanoes on terrestrial planets. The observed structures on the flanks of the Ascraeus volcano (Mars) show strong analogies with concentric dykes (cone sheets) and fractures on many terrestrial volcanoes such as Isla Fernandina (Galapagos), Tejeda Complex (Canary Islands) and Cuillins Complex (Isle of Skye, Scotland). We applied a FEM model to obtain the depth of the magma chamber for the martian volcano.