Publications
Filter Total Items: 990
Corundum discovered by SuperCam and the Perseverance rover at Jezero crater, Mars Corundum discovered by SuperCam and the Perseverance rover at Jezero crater, Mars
Mars is primarily composed of mafic mineral assemblages and their alteration products, but small, scattered rocks strewn across the landscape offer clues to greater petrological diversity. While traversing the Jezero crater rim, the Perseverance rover encountered several plagioclase-rich light-toned float rocks. SuperCam identified the distinctive signature of corundum (α-Al2O3) in these...
Authors
A.M. Ollila, O. Beyssac, A. Fau, O. Forni, E. Clave, P.S.A. Beck, C. C. Bedford, V. Payre, E. Dehouck, S.A. Connell, J.A. Manrique, P. Pilleri, O. Gasnault, G.M. Martinez, A. Udry, S. Bernard, P. Gasda, T. Acosta-Maeda, R.B. Anderson, Travis S.J. Gabriel, F. Calef, J.F. Bell, J. N. Maki, S. Schroder, C. Quantin-Nataf, J.R. Johnson, B. Chide, K. Rammelkamp, F. Poulet, C. Royer, M. Rock, N.L. Lanza, S.K. Sharma, G. Lopez-Ryeys, T. Fouchet, J. Comellas, A. Zastrow, E. Coutis, R.C. Wiens, A. Cousin, S. Maurice, S. M. Clegg, P. Bernardi, T. Nelson
Subsurface water ice mapping on Mars: A probabilistic approach Subsurface water ice mapping on Mars: A probabilistic approach
Subsurface water ice deposits on Mars are an important resource for potential future human exploration. They are also an indicator of the planet’s past climate. However, the distribution of subsurface water ice in Mars’s midlatitudes is uncertain because spacecraft imagery cannot directly observe subsurface ice in most cases. Various spacecraft remote sensing instruments are sensitive to
Authors
Samuel W Courville, Nathaniel E Putzig, Gareth A Morgan, Asmin Pathare, Colin M. Dundas, David M. H. Baker, Ali Bramson, Rachael H. Hoover, Stefano Nerozzi, Matthew R. Perry, Megan Russell, Hanna G. Sizemore
Amazonian mass balance history of Martian ice reservoirs: Current knowledge and uncertainties Amazonian mass balance history of Martian ice reservoirs: Current knowledge and uncertainties
A major part of the history of the Amazonian period on Mars is the movement of water ice between near-surface reservoirs across the planet. This work assesses the ages and volumes of different parts of the Martian water ice inventory over the last ∼1 Gyr, to reconstruct the time history of ice reservoirs to the extent that it is currently known and determine whether they provide a mass...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas
Thermal detectability of subsurface water ice on Mars: A comparative analysis for the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) Project Thermal detectability of subsurface water ice on Mars: A comparative analysis for the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) Project
We have developed a new global map of shallow ground ice distribution, SWIM23, based on Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer data and made systematic comparisons between this new map and two similar, previously developed data products. We have explored the origin of differences between the three ice maps by detailing technical and procedural differences in their development...
Authors
H. G. Sizemore, A. V. Pathare, Colin M. Dundas, N. E. Putzig, G. A. Morgan, M. R. Perry, M. T. Mellon, Z. M. Bain, S. W. Courville
Lunar-VISE landing site selection and characterization at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma Lunar-VISE landing site selection and characterization at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) was selected for a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) delivery to the Gruithuisen domes region of the Moon as part of NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigation on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program. The Gruithuisen domes are chemically and morphologically distinct from their surroundings with a thorium-rich...
Authors
Jean-Pierre Williams, Margaret E. Landis, Kristen A. Bennett, Sarah Valencia, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Adrienne Dove, Patrick O'Brien, Erwan Mazarico, Javier Benavente, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Lena Heffernan, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine, John S. Karcz, Maria E. Banks
Mars as one system: Insights from the 8th international conference on Mars polar science and exploration Mars as one system: Insights from the 8th international conference on Mars polar science and exploration
The 8th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration (ICMPSE) provided new insights into the complex interplay between Martian ice, climate, and atmospheric dynamics. The conference emphasized a holistic view of Mars as a system, where surface processes, subsurface ice, atmospheric dynamics, and historical climate shifts are interconnected. Research updates spanned...
Authors
Isaac B. Smith, Chimira Andres, Shannon Hibbard, Stefano Nerozzi, Roberto Aguilar, Peter Buhler, Ben Cornford, Leslie Tamppari, Timothy N. Titus
Publisher correction: Strong nickel enrichment co-located with redox-organic interactions in Neretva Vallis, Mars Publisher correction: Strong nickel enrichment co-located with redox-organic interactions in Neretva Vallis, Mars
Correction to: Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70081-3, published online 31 March 2026
Authors
H. T. Manelski, R. C. Wiens, A. Broz, J. A. Hurowitz, M. Tice, S. M. Clegg, E. Dehouck, N. Randazzo, S. A. Connell, O. Forni, S. J. VanBommel, S. Scrhoder, L. Mandon, Travis S.J. Gabriel, C. C. Bedford, R. K. Martinez, E. A. Cloutis, A. Cousin, M. L. Cable
Lunar analog study using portable gamma-ray neutron detector: Radiochemical mapping of silicic-to-basaltic volcanic terrains in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona Lunar analog study using portable gamma-ray neutron detector: Radiochemical mapping of silicic-to-basaltic volcanic terrains in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona
Studying lunar silicic volcanism provides key insights into the Moon’s crustal evolution, magmatic processes, and volcanic history. The Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer) mission will investigate the Gruithuisen domes, a unique lunar region hypothesized to have formed through silicic volcanism. Using instruments on a Firefly Aerospace lander and a Honeybee...
Authors
Deniz Ölçek, Craig Hardgrove, Thomas Prettyman, Amber L. Gullikson, Kristen A. Bennett, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Lena E. Heffern, Margaret E. Landis
Morphometric properties of the CP-21 landing site on the Moon at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma Morphometric properties of the CP-21 landing site on the Moon at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
Characterizing terrain surface properties is an essential step in assessing the feasibility of landing successfully at a location on a planetary surface. Slopes and terrain ruggedness index (TRI) values derived from high-resolution (2 m pixel−1) digital terrain models provided important constraints in selecting the landing site for the upcoming Payloads and Research Investigations on the...
Authors
Jean-Pierre Williams, Sarah Valencia, Kristen A. Bennett, Margaret E. Landis, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Addison T. Dove, Patrick O'Brien, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine
Semantic segmentation of light-toned veins in multimodal ChemCam data Semantic segmentation of light-toned veins in multimodal ChemCam data
Since the Mars Science Laboratory landed in 2012, the ChemCam instrument aboard the rover has collected in-situ laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data and context images along more than 35 km of the Gale Crater traverse, providing valuable observations including diagenetic features such as light-toned veins. These veins are of particular scientific interest because they are...
Authors
Ana Lomashvili, Kristin Rammelkamp, Protim Bhattacharjee, Olivier Gasnault, Elise Clavé, Christoph H. Egerland, Susanne Schröder, Travis S.J. Gabriel, Ari Essunfeld, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Begüm Demir
Thermal and dielectric properties of Juno’s regolith at one millimeter wavelength Thermal and dielectric properties of Juno’s regolith at one millimeter wavelength
We present the modeling results of the thermal lightcurve of asteroid (3) Juno at the wavelength of λ = 1.3 mm measured by the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array. A thermophysical model together with a radiative transfer model suggests a thermal inertia of 13 ± 10 [J m−2 K−1 s−0.5], an equivalent emissivity of 0.8 ± 0.1, a loss tangent of 0.4 ± 0.3, and an index of refraction 1...
Authors
J-Y Li, Timothy N. Titus, Arielle Moullet, Henry H. Hsieh
Geodetic investigations of the Europa Clipper mission Geodetic investigations of the Europa Clipper mission
The Europa Clipper mission will investigate the geophysical properties of Europa, one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, to assess its habitability. Geodetic measurements will play a critical role in determining Europa’s internal structure, rotational state, and tidal deformation. The Geodesy Focus Group (GFG) coordinates cross-instrument efforts to measure Europa’s global shape, rotational...
Authors
G. Steinbrügge, R.S. Park, J.H. Roberts, Michael T. Bland, S. M. Brooks, J. C. Castillo-Rogez, G. Cascioli, A. Genova, T. Greathouse, H. Hussmann, Randolph L. Kirk, A. Magnanini, Erwan Mazarico, F. Nimmo, M. S. Park, F. Petricca, K. Retherford, D.M. Schroeder, K.M. Soderlund, P. Tortora, M. Zannoni