Xiaojian Xu

and 7 more

China’s first Mars Exploration Mission Tianwen-1 achieved full success. The loaded Zhurong Rover landed south of the Utopia Planita. The Tianwen-1 orbiter also sending back high-resolution images. We utilized the High-Resolution Imaging Camera (HiRIC) of Tianwen-1 and Context Camera loaded on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to collect the image data and construct a 3D strata model of the Zhurong landing site. Using this model, we analyzed the material loss of ghost craters. Judging from the morphological characteristics of pitted cones at the Zhurong landing site, we confirmed their classification as mud volcanoes. We also analyzed the possible cause of formation by combining the gravity field and magnetic field data. The experimental results indicate that (1) the Zhurong landing site can be divided into the dry sedimentary, moisture sedimentary, and Vastitas boreal (VB) members as three strata and another ejecta blocks. The three strata are categorized into VB formations with an integral width of 1.2 km. (2) The cones at the Zhurong landing site are mud volcanoes formed by groundwater thermal activity, and the heat source originate from a southern underground magma chamber. The density of mud volcanoes signifies the existence of ejecta blocks. (3) Apart from volumetric compaction, some ghost craters show eruption of underground substances. Generally, after the VB unit located on the surface of the Zhurong landing site formed at 3.43 Ga, the current geomorphology of the landing site was altered due to the differentiation of water evaporation above ground and underground, underground thermal activity, and meteorite impacts.