The structurally complex region of Tempe Terra, located in the northeast
of the Tharsis Rise on Mars, preserves deformation related to the growth
of Tharsis and lies along the trendline formed by the Tharsis Montes
volcanoes. We characterise the spatiotemporal tectonic evolution of
Tempe Terra based on comprehensive structural mapping. From this
mapping, we identified 16 cross-cutting fault sets and placed these in
relative time order, based on a hybrid approach using cross-cutting
relationships and buffered crater counting. We are thus able to provide
a broad framework for understanding the timing of development for the
Tharsis Rise and Tharsis Montes axial trend. Our work shows that Tempe
Terra has experienced three distinct stages of tectonic activity from
the Middle Noachian to the Late Hesperian. Stage 1 involved E--W
extension followed by localised NE--SW extension, which produced local
zones of N and NW faulting through the centre and west of Tempe Terra in
the Noachian. Stage 2 produced intense NE-oriented faulting concentrated
along the Tharsis Montes axial trend in the Early Hesperian as a result
of a discrete period of NW--SE extension and local volcanism. Stage 3
involved NW--SE extension coinciding with Tharsis volcanic activity,
which generated a regional fabric of ENE-trending graben distributed
across Tempe Terra from the Early to Late Hesperian. We observe an
overall peak in tectonic activity in the Early Hesperian and find that
Tharsis-related extensional deformation in the form of NE-oriented
radial faulting did not start in Tempe Terra until this time.