Noachian

E416933

The Noachian is the oldest major geological era on Mars, characterized by heavy cratering, widespread valley networks, and conditions that may have supported liquid water on the surface.

All labels observed (3)

Label Occurrences
Noachian canonical 2
Noachian period 1
Noachian-Hesperian 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Martian geologic period ⓘ
geological era on Mars ⓘ
associatedWith early formation of Martian highlands ⓘ
early hydrothermal systems ⓘ
early magnetic field remnants in crust ⓘ
intense volcanic activity ⓘ
possible warm and wet climate episodes ⓘ
thick early Martian atmosphere ⓘ
widespread fluvial activity ⓘ
characterizedBy extensive crustal fracturing ⓘ
heavy impact cratering ⓘ
intense surface erosion ⓘ
large impact basins ⓘ
widespread valley networks ⓘ
climateImplication transition from wetter to drier Mars ⓘ
contrastedWith cold and dry Amazonian climate ⓘ
drier conditions of Hesperian ⓘ
definedBy International Commission on Stratigraphy for Mars (informal planetary usage) ⓘ
relative crater density and stratigraphic relationships ⓘ
endTime about 3.7 billion years ago ⓘ
evidenceFrom crater counting on Martian surface ⓘ
mineralogical detections of clays and phyllosilicates ⓘ
valley network morphology ⓘ
follows pre-Noachian ⓘ
hydrologicFeature closed-basin lakes ⓘ
dendritic valley networks ⓘ
open-basin lakes ⓘ
mayHaveSupported potential habitable conditions for life ⓘ
stable liquid water on the Martian surface ⓘ
mineralAssociation clay-bearing deposits ⓘ
phyllosilicate-rich terrains ⓘ
namedAfter Noachis Terra ⓘ
partOf geologic timescale of Mars ⓘ
precedes Hesperian ⓘ
relevance key interval for potential origin of life on Mars ⓘ
researchField astrobiology ⓘ
planetary geology ⓘ
startTime about 4.1 billion years ago ⓘ
surfaceRecord ancient impact basins such as Argyre Planitia ⓘ
ancient impact basins such as Hellas Planitia ⓘ
ancient impact basins such as Isidis Planitia ⓘ
densely cratered southern highlands of Mars ⓘ
timeSpan Late Heavy Bombardment era in inner Solar System ⓘ
usedIn crater-based Martian chronologies ⓘ
models of early Martian climate evolution ⓘ
selection of astrobiologically interesting landing sites ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ares Vallis → geologicalAge → Noachian-Hesperian ⓘ
linked to: Noachian
Argyre Planitia → hasAge → Noachian period ⓘ
subject linked to: Argyre Planitia region
linked to: Noachian