Geologic map of the Arcadia Quadrangle of Mars
The Arcadia quadrangle of Mars contains three distinct geological provinces: (1) the 1000-km-diameter shield field volcano of Alba Patera, which occupies the southwestern quadrant ; (2) the complex T empe province, which comprises a number of younger volcanic and sedimentary blanket deposits over an ancient, highly cratered crust forming a plateau in the southwestern quadrant ; and (3) a plains province, consisting of northern wind-swept , c ratered plains and some younger subpolar deposits in the northeast corner of the quadrangle, plus less cratered plains surrounding much of the T empe and Alba regions. The plateau, informally named the Tempe Plateau and part of the proposed forma l term Tempe Terra, is separated from the main regions of cratered martian highlands to the south by Kasei Vallis , appearing at the extreme southeast corner of the map, which slopes northeastward onto Chryse Planitia.