Published May 1, 2026 | Version v1
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Atlas of Martian Geography: MC-27

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MC-27, titled Noachis, is the twenty-seventh sectional chart in the Atlas of Martian Geography, the visual companion to the Encyclopedia of Martian Geography (Thomas Gangale, JSD; Volume 1 released March 2026). This high-resolution chart presents the Noachis Quadrangle of Mars (30°–65° S latitude, 0°–60° E longitude), rendered using USGS Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MGS MOLA) global color shaded relief data at approximately 463 m/pixel resolution.The map is dominated by the ancient, heavily cratered highlands of Noachis Terra, one of the oldest and most densely cratered surfaces on Mars, representing a classic expression of Noachian-age terrain. Elevations generally range from 1–3 km above the Martian datum in the western two-thirds of the quadrangle, transitioning eastward toward the rugged rim and western margins of the immense Hellas impact basin. Notable features include numerous large impact craters, degraded crater rims, intercrater plains, and evidence of ancient modification processes that characterize the heavily bombarded southern highlands.Key scholarly features of this chart include precise overlays of revived classical albedo nomenclature from 19th- and early 20th-century telescopic observations (e.g., by Giovanni Schiaparelli, Percival Lowell, and Eugène Antoniadi), integrating historical names associated with the Noachis region into the modern topographic framework. These are cross-referenced with official IAU-approved toponyms without supplanting them. Annotations provide etymological context—drawing from the biblical and classical roots of “Noachis” (evoking antiquity and renewal)—and highlight the region’s significance in the stratigraphic framework of Martian geology, where the Noachian Period derives its name from this type locality.This chart supports applications in planetary science, astrogeology, historical cartography, and future exploration planning by bridging telescopic-era geographic perception with high-precision modern topography. It contributes to a layered, culturally enriched understanding of Martian landscapes across observational eras.The chart is distributed open-access via Zenodo alongside the encyclopedia text and other MC sectional charts.Recommended citation:
Gangale, T. (2026). Atlas of Martian Geography: MC-27 Noachis.

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