Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Filter Total Items: 978

Topography and geomorphology of the Huygens landing site on Titan Topography and geomorphology of the Huygens landing site on Titan

The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) aboard the Huygens Probe took several hundred visible-light images with its three cameras on approach to the surface of Titan. Several sets of stereo image pairs were collected during the descent. The digital terrain models constructed from those images show rugged topography, in places approaching the angle of repose, adjacent to flatter...
Authors
Laurence A. Soderblom, Martin G. Tomasko, Brent A. Archinal, Tammy L. Becker, Michael W. Bushroe, Debbie Cook, Lyn R. Doose, Donna M. Galuszka, Trent M. Hare, Elpitha Howington-Kraus, Erich Karkoschka, Randolph L. Kirk, Jonathan I. Lunine, Elisabeth A. McFarlane, Bonnie L. Redding, Bashar Rizk, Mark R. Rosiek, Charles See, Peter H. Smith

Mars global digital dune database and initial science results Mars global digital dune database and initial science results

A new Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) constructed using Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared (IR) images provides a comprehensive and quantitative view of the geographic distribution of moderate‐ to large‐size dune fields (area >1 km2) that will help researchers to understand global climatic and sedimentary processes that have shaped the surface of Mars. MGD3...
Authors
Rosalyn K. Hayward, Kevin F. Mullins, Lori K. Fenton, Trent M. Hare, Timothy N. Titus, Mary C. Bourke, Anthony Colaprete, Phillip R. Christensen

The lakes of Titan The lakes of Titan

The surface of Saturn’s haze-shrouded moon Titan has long been proposed to have oceans or lakes, on the basis of the stability of liquid methane at the surface1,2. Initial visible3 and radar4,5 imaging failed to find any evidence of an ocean, although abundant evidence was found that flowing liquids have existed on the surface5,6. Here we provide definitive evidence for the presence of...
Authors
Ellen R. Stofan, Charles Elachi, Jonathan I. Lunine, Ralf D. Lorenz, B. Stiles, K. L. Mitchell, S. Ostro, Laurence A. Soderblom, C. Wood, H. Zebker, S. Wall, Michael A. Janssen, Randolph L. Kirk, Rosaly Lopes, F. Paganelli, Jani Radebaugh, L. Wye, Y. Anderson, M. Allison, R. Boehmer, P. Callahan, P. Encrenaz, E. Flamini, G. Francescetti, Y. Gim, G. Hamilton, S. Hensley, W.T.K. Johnson, K. Kelleher, D. Muhleman, Philipe Paillou, G. Picardi, F. Posa, L. Roth, R. Seu, S. Shaffer, S. Vetrella, R. West

Evidence for and implications of sedimentary diapirism and mud volcanism in the southern Utopia highland-lowland boundary plain, Mars Evidence for and implications of sedimentary diapirism and mud volcanism in the southern Utopia highland-lowland boundary plain, Mars

Several types of spatially associated landforms in the southern Utopia Planitia highland–lowland boundary (HLB) plain appear to have resulted from localized geologic activity, including (1) fractured rises, (2) elliptical mounds, (3) pitted cones with emanating lobate materials, and (4) isolated and coalesced cavi (depressions). Stratigraphic analysis indicates these features are...
Authors
James A. Skinner, Kenneth L. Tanaka

Initial insights from 2.5D hydraulic modeling of floods in Athabasca Valles, Mars Initial insights from 2.5D hydraulic modeling of floods in Athabasca Valles, Mars

We present the first application of a 2.5D hydraulic model to catastrophic floods on Mars. This model simulates flow over complex topography and incorporates flood dynamics that could not be modeled in the earlier 1D models. We apply this model to Athabasca Valles, the youngest outflow channel on Mars, investigating previous bank-full discharge estimates and utilizing the interpolated...
Authors
Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Roger P. Denlinger, D. R. H. O’Connell, Devon M. Burr

Near-infrared spectral mapping of Titan's mountains and channels Near-infrared spectral mapping of Titan's mountains and channels

We investigate the spectral reflectance properties of channels and mountain ranges on Titan using data from Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) obtained during the T9 encounter (26 December 2005). We identify the location of channels and mountains using synthetic aperture radar maps obtained from Cassini's RADAR instrument during the T13 (30 April 2006) flyby...
Authors
Jason W. Barnes, Jani Radebaugh, Robert H. Brown, Steve Wall, Laurence A. Soderblom, Jonathan I. Lunine, Devon M. Burr, Christophe Sotin, Stephane Le Mouelic, Sebastien Rodriguez, Bonnie J. Buratti, Roger N. Clark, Kevin H. Baines, Ralf Jaumann, Philip D. Nicholson, Randolph L. Kirk, Rosaly Lopes, Ralph D. Lorenz, Ken Mitchell, Charles A. Wood

Correlations between Cassini VIMS spectra and RADAR SAR images: Implications for Titan's surface composition and the character of the Huygens Probe Landing Site Correlations between Cassini VIMS spectra and RADAR SAR images: Implications for Titan's surface composition and the character of the Huygens Probe Landing Site

Titan's vast equatorial fields of RADAR-dark longitudinal dunes seen in Cassini RADAR synthetic aperture images correlate with one of two dark surface units discriminated as “brown” and “blue” in Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) color composites of short-wavelength infrared spectral cubes (RGB as 2.0, 1.6, 1.3 μm). In such composites bluer materials exhibit higher...
Authors
Laurence A. Soderblom, Randolph L. Kirk, Jonathan I. Lunine, Jeffrey A. Anderson, Kevin H. Baines, Jason W. Barnes, Janet M. Barrett, Robert H. Brown, Bonnie J. Buratti, Roger N. Clark, Dale P. Cruikshank, Charles Elachi, Michael A. Janssen, Ralf Jaumann, Erich Karkoschka, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Rosaly Lopes, Ralph D. Lorenz, Thomas B. McCord, Philip D. Nicholson, Jani Radebaugh, Bashar Rizk, Christophe Sotin, Ellen R. Stofan, Tracie L. Sucharski, Martin G. Tomasko, Stephen D. Wall

THEMIS observes possible cave skylights on Mars THEMIS observes possible cave skylights on Mars

Seven possible skylight entrances into Martian caves were observed on and around the flanks of Arsia Mons by the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). Distinct from impact craters, collapse pits or any other surface feature on Mars, these candidates appear to be deep dark holes at visible wavelengths while infrared observations show their thermal behaviors to be...
Authors
Glen Cushing, Timothy N. Titus, J. Judson Wynne, P. R. Christensen

A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars A closer look at water-related geologic activity on Mars

Water has supposedly marked the surface of Mars and produced characteristic landforms. To understand the history of water on Mars, we take a close look at key locations with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reaching fine spatial scales of 25 to 32 centimeters per pixel. Boulders ranging up to ∼2 meters in diameter are ubiquitous in...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, C.J. Hansen, W.A. Delamere, E. M. Eliason, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, V. C. Gulick, Randolph L. Kirk, M. T. Mellon, J. A. Grant, N. Thomas, C.M. Weitz, S. W. Squyres, N.T. Bridges, S.L. Murchie, F. Seelos, K. Seelos, C.H. Okubo, M.P. Milazzo, L.L. Tornabene, W.L. Jaeger, S. Byrne, P.S. Russell, J.L. Griffes, S. Martinez-Alonso, A. Davatzes, F. C. Chuang, B.J. Thomson, K.E. Fishbaugh, C. M. Dundas, K.J. Kolb, M. E. Banks, J.J. Wray

Survey of TES high albedo events in Mars' northern polar craters Survey of TES high albedo events in Mars' northern polar craters

Following the work exploring Korolev Crater (Armstrong et al., 2005) for evidence of crater interior ice deposits, we have conducted a survey of Thermal Emission Spectroscopy (TES) temperature and albedo measurements for Mars' northern polar craters larger than 10 km. Specifically, we identify a class of craters that exhibits brightening in their interiors during a solar longitude, Ls...
Authors
J.C. Armstrong, S.K. Nielson, Timothy N. Titus

The lakes and seas of Titan The lakes and seas of Titan

No abstract available.
Authors
Rosaly Lopes, Karl L. Mitchell, Stephen D. Wall, Giuseppe Mitri, Michael Janssen, Steven J. Ostro, Randolph L. Kirk, Alexander G. Hayes, Ellen R. Stofan, Jonathan I. Lunine, Ralph D. Lorenz, Charles Wood, Jani Radebaugh, Philipe Paillou, H. Zebker, Flora Paganelli

The Unified Lunar Control Network 2005 The Unified Lunar Control Network 2005

This report documents a new general unified lunar control network and lunar topographic model based on a combination of Clementine images and a previous network derived from Earth-based & Apollo photographs, and Mariner 10, & Galileo images. This photogrammetric network solution is the largest planetary control network ever completed. It includes the determination of the 3-D positions of...
Authors
Brent A. Archinal, Mark R. Rosiek, Randolph L. Kirk, Bonnie L. Redding
Was this page helpful?