Linking planetary-scale spatio-temporal trends in magma compositions and volcanic resurfacing on Mars

Linking planetary-scale spatio-temporal trends in magma compositions and volcanic resurfacing on Mars | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 9 February 2026 V4 Latest version Share on Linking planetary-scale spatio-temporal trends in magma compositions and volcanic resurfacing on Mars Authors : Arka Pratim Chatterjee 0009-0002-6997-1940 [email protected] , Meredith Townsend , James W Head , Christian Huber , and Olivier Bachmann Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175433535.55280053/v4 Published Earth and Planetary Science Letters Version of record Peer review timeline 271 views 221 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Martian volcanism exhibits two key global trends: magmas evolved from alkali- and silica-rich compositions in the Noachian epoch to alkali depleted mafic compositions in the Amazonian, while spatially, young (Amazonian) volcanic resurfacing is confined to the Northern hemisphere and the Tharsis region, with no evidence of recent volcanism in the Southern highlands. A unifying model linking these observations has been lacking. Here, we investigate the relationship between spatio-temporal variations in volcanic resurfacing and the evolution of magma chemistry throughout martian geological history. By analyzing the physical conditions required for volcanic eruptions to be sourced from magma reservoirs located within the martian crust, we model how these conditions influence mantle-derived magma compositions. Our results show that dike propagation from magma chambers is controlled by crustal rheology, with dike height depending on chamber size, magma overpressure, and volatile exsolution (both in the reservoir and within the dike). During the Noachian, the thin crust allowed eruptions of both low- and high-degree mantle melts, consistent with the diverse alkalinity of ancient surface rocks. In contrast, the thickened Amazonian crust selectively filtered low-degree melts, necessitating high recharge rates in large magma reservoirs for eruptions. This filtering effect explains the alkali – depleted compositions of Amazonian basalts, as only high-degree melts could reach the surface. Our study provides a holistic framework connecting magma reservoir dynamics, crustal evolution, and the observed geochemical and spatial trends in martian volcanism. Supplementary Material File (manuscript_v2.pdf) Download 6.83 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 04 August 2025 V2 Version 2 18 August 2025 V3 Version 3 05 February 2026 V4 Version 4 09 February 2026 Peer review timeline Published Earth and Planetary Science Letters Version of Record 1 May 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords crustal thickness magma alkalinity magma eruptibility martian volcanism volcanic resurfacing Authors Affiliations Arka Pratim Chatterjee 0009-0002-6997-1940 [email protected] Institute for Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich View all articles by this author Meredith Townsend Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University View all articles by this author James W Head Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science, Brown University View all articles by this author Christian Huber Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science, Brown University View all articles by this author Olivier Bachmann Institute for Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 271 views 221 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Arka Pratim Chatterjee, Meredith Townsend, James W Head, et al. Linking planetary-scale spatio-temporal trends in magma compositions and volcanic resurfacing on Mars. Authorea . 09 February 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175433535.55280053/v4 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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