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Wrinkle Ridge Plains

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms

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Definition

Plain that has developed topographically distinct sinuous or nearly linear ridges on an otherwise relatively smooth surface.

Category

A type of volcanic plain.

Synonyms

Dorsum plains; Plains with wrinkle ridges (Moon, Venus); Regional plains (Venus); Ridged plains (Mars); Wrinkle ridged plains (Mars)

Description

Wrinkle ridge plains (e.g., Watters 1991) are characterized by two principle topographic features: broad ridges up to tens of kilometers wide and sinuous and discontinuous (or en echelon) crenulations on or near ridges (Schultz 2000).

Morphometry

Wrinkle Ridge

Interpretation

Contractional tectonic features on volcanic or sedimentary plains (e.g., Watters 1993). On the Moon, formed by contraction related to subsidence of lava flow sequences in lunar maria (basins); on the high volcanic plains of Mars, Venus, and Mercury, related more to internal tectonic forces caused either by gravitational loading of large volcanic constructs or by coupled mantle-crust dynamics...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA

    Scott S. Hughes

Authors
  1. Scott S. Hughes
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Correspondence to Scott S. Hughes .

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Hughes, S.S. (2014). Wrinkle Ridge Plains. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_573-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_573-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9

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