{{short description|Martian mountain}} {{Infobox feature on celestial object |name = Anseris Mons |image = [[File:Anseris Mons based on THEMIS DAY IR.png|300px|Anseris Mons]] |coordinates = {{coord|29.81|S|86.65|E|globe:mars_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} |type = Mountain }} '''Anseris Mons''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|n|s|ə|r|ᵻ|s|_|ˈ|m|ɒ|n|z}} is an isolated [[massif]] (mountain) in the southern highlands of [[Mars]], located at the northeastern edge of [[Hellas Planitia]] at longitude 86.65°E and latitude 29.81°S. The mountain is {{convert|58|km|mi|abbr=on}} in diameter and rises to an elevation of approximately 4,200 m (13,780 ft) above [[datum (geodesy)|datum]] ([[Geography of Mars#Zero elevation|martian "sea" level]]) or about 6,200 m (20,300 ft) above the surrounding plains.<ref>JMARS MOLA elevation dataset. Christensen, P.; Gorelick, N.; Anwar, S.; Dickenshied, S.; Edwards, C.; Engle, E. (2007) "[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007AGUFM.P11E..01C New Insights About Mars From the Creation and Analysis of Mars Global Datasets];" American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting, abstract #P11E-01.</ref> The mountain lies in the southeastern quarter of the [[Iapygia quadrangle]] (MC-21), straddling the boundary with the adjoining [[Hellas quadrangle]] (MC-28) to the south.
Anseris Mons is named from Anseris Fons, a [[classical albedo features on Mars|telescopic albedo feature]] mapped by Greek astronomer [[E. M. Antoniadi]] in 1930. The name was approved by the [[International Astronomical Union]] (IAU) in 1991.<ref>[http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov./Feature/288 USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature]. Mars.</ref>
Anseris Mons is not a volcano. Geologically, the massif is thought to be the eroded remnant of an ancient [[crustal block]] uplifted from depths of several kilometers<ref name =Leonard1>Leonard, G.J.; Tanaka, K.L. (2001). [https://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/i2694/i2694pamphlet.pdf Geologic Map of the Hellas Region of Mars]. Pamphlet to Accompany Map I-2694. U.S. Geological Survey, p. 3.</ref> in the formation of the Hellas impact basin during the [[Late Heavy Bombardment|period of heavy bombardment]].<ref name =Leonard2>Leonard, G.J.; Tanaka, K.L. (2001). [https://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/i2694/i2694.pdf Geologic Map of the Hellas Region of Mars]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Investigations Series I-2694.</ref> Anseris Mons is the [[type locality (geology)|type area]] for a large set of rugged mountain blocks (>25 km across) that occur in a relatively continuous band 200 to 500 km wide around the western, northeastern, eastern, and southeastern rim of the Hellas basin. Many of the blocks, particularly along the western rim, are concentric with the basin and bounded by faults.<ref name=Leonard2 />
Rocks making up Anseris Mons and other massifs around Hellas are mapped as [[Noachian (Mars)|Noachian]] in age.<ref name =Leonard2 /><ref name =Greeley>Greeley, R; Guest, J.E. (1987) Geologic Map of the Eastern Equatorial Region of Mars. U.S. Geological Survey, M 15M, 0/270 G.</ref> However, work by Herbert Frey at NASA’s [[Goddard Spaceflight Center]] using [[Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter]] (MOLA) data indicates that the southern highlands of Mars contain numerous buried impact basins that are older than the visible Noachian-aged surfaces and which pre-date the Hellas impact. He suggests that the Hellas impact should mark the beginning of the Noachian period (base of the Noachian [[system (stratigraphy)|system]]). If Frey is correct, then Anseris Mons bedrock is actually pre-Noachian in age, perhaps dating back to over 4.1 billion years ago.<ref>Frey, H.V. (2003). [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/sixthmars2003/pdf/3104.pdf Buried Impact Basins and the Earliest History of Mars]. Sixth International Conference on Mars, Abstract #3104.</ref><ref>Carr, M.H.; Head, J.W. (2010). Geologic History of Mars. ''Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.,'' '''294''', 185–203. {{doi|10.1016/j.espl.2009.06.042}}.</ref>
The Anseris Mons massif has undergone a significant amount of erosion since it was uplifted. The flanks of the mountain have huge triangular [[Salients, re-entrants and pockets|re-entrants]] and associated [[spur (mountain)|spurs]], which give the massif a broad, pyramidal shape. The re-entrants were likely produced through a variety of [[mass wasting|mass-wasting]] and [[periglacial]]/glacial processes. A large [[cirque]]-like re-entrant with channelized debris aprons or [[alluvial fan|fans]] is present on the south side of the mountain.
==Images== <gallery> Image:Anseris Mons.jpg|Anseris Mons Image:Anseris Mons HiRISE.jpg|Northern face of Anseris Mons showing areas of exposed bedrock. </gallery>
==See also== * [[List of mountains on Mars]] * [[List of mountains on Mars by height]] * [[List of tallest mountains in the Solar System]]
==References== {{commons category|Anseris Mons}} {{Reflist}} {{Mars}} {{Portal bar|Solar System}}
[[Category:Mountains on Mars]] [[Category:Iapygia quadrangle]] [[Category:Hellas quadrangle]]