Volcaniclastic Aeolian Deposits at Sunset Crater Volcano, Arizona: Applications for Martian Analogs.

Volcaniclastic aeolian deposits at Sunset Crater volcano serve as a compositional analog to dunes on Mars. Most aeolian dune systems on Earth are dominated by quartz grains; however, the current understanding is that many dunes on Mars are com-posed of basaltic (mafic) particles. Sunset Crater in north-central Arizona (USA) is a 900-year-old [1] sco-ria-cone volcano composed of alkali olivine basalt. Wind action has subsequently redistributed its wide-spread tephra (ash and lapilli) deposit into a variety of aeolian landforms. We have collected geomorphologi-cal and sedimentological data to help establish a base-line for the type and morphometry of dunes, physical properties (e.g., grain size and composition), saltation pathways, and interactions with topography.