Anomalous tilt of Isidis Planitia, Mars

[1] We examine several models to account for the contrast between the global northern tilt of Mars and the southwest slope of Isidis Planitia and the putative Deuteronilus shoreline surrounding Isidis Planitia. We found the most probable cause for both the tilt of Isidis Planitia and the Deuteronilus shoreline at this location to be a peripheral bulge created by a load in Utopia basin. Using a flexural model it was found that a 12km load resulting in a 6 km deflection in Utopia basin could create a peripheral bulge that in distance and magnitude resembles the topographic profile from Isidis Planitia northeastward into Utopia basin.