Publications
Filter Total Items: 978
THEMIS VIS and IR observations of a high-altitude Martian dust devil THEMIS VIS and IR observations of a high-altitude Martian dust devil
The Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) imaged a Martian dust devil in both visible and thermal-infrared wavelengths on January 30, 2004. We believe this is the first documented infrared observation of an extraterrestrial dust devil, and the highest to be directly observed at more than 16 kilometers above the equatorial geoid of Mars. This dust devil measured over 700...
Authors
Glen Cushing, Timothy N. Titus, Phillip R. Christensen
Provenance and diagenesis of the evaporite-bearing Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars Provenance and diagenesis of the evaporite-bearing Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars
Impure reworked evaporitic sandstones, preserved on Meridiani Planum, Mars, are mixtures of roughly equal amounts of altered siliciclastic debris, of basaltic provenance (40 ± 10% by mass), and chemical constituents, dominated by evaporitic minerals (jarosite, Mg-, Ca-sulfates ± chlorides ± Fe-, Na-sulfates), hematite and possibly secondary silica (60 ± 10%). These chemical constituents...
Authors
S. M. McLennan, J.F. Bell, W. M. Calvin, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, P.A. de Souza, J. Farmer, W. H. Farrand, D.A. Fike, Ralf Gellert, A. Ghosh, T.D. Glotch, J.P. Grotzinger, B. Hahn, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, J.A. Hurowitz, J. R. Johnson, S.S. Johnson, B. Jolliff, G. Klingelhofer, A.H. Knoll, Z. Learner, M. C. Malin, H.Y. McSween, J. Pocock, S. W. Ruff, Laurence A. Soderblom, S. W. Squyres, N.J. Tosca, W.A. Watters, M.B. Wyatt, A. Yen
Water alteration of rocks and soils on Mars at the Spirit rover site in Gusev crater Water alteration of rocks and soils on Mars at the Spirit rover site in Gusev crater
Gusev crater was selected as the landing site for the Spirit rover because of the possibility that it once held a lake. Thus one of the rover's tasks was to search for evidence of lake sediments. However, the plains at the landing site were found to be covered by a regolith composed of olivine-rich basaltic rock and wind-blown 'global' dust. The analyses of three rock interiors exposed...
Authors
L.A. Haskin, A. Wang, B.L. Jolliff, H.Y. McSween, B. C. Clark, D.J. Des Marais, S. M. McLennan, N.J. Tosca, J.A. Hurowitz, J.D. Farmer, A. Yen, S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, G. Klingelhofer, C. Schroder, P.A. De Souza, D. W. Ming, Ralf Gellert, J. Zipfel, J. Bruckner, J.F. Bell, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, P. R. Christensen, S. Ruff, D. Blaney, S. Gorevan, N.A. Cabrol, L. Crumpler, J. Grant, L. Soderblom
Pitted cones and domes on Mars: Observations in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae using MOC, THEMIS, and TES data Pitted cones and domes on Mars: Observations in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae using MOC, THEMIS, and TES data
Domes and cones with summit pits located in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae were studied using MOC and THEMIS images and a TES‐derived thermal inertia map. North of 40.5°N latitude, the features have a dome‐like morphology, and south of that latitude, the morphology is more cone‐like. Layering is apparent in the summit craters of fresher looking southern cones, and asymmetric aprons...
Authors
William H. Farrand, Lisa R. Gaddis, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
Albedo of the south pole on Mars determined by topographic forcing of atmosphere dynamics Albedo of the south pole on Mars determined by topographic forcing of atmosphere dynamics
The nature of the martian south polar cap has remained enigmatic since the first spacecraft observations. In particular, the presence of a perennial carbon dioxide ice cap, the formation of a vast area of black ‘slab ice’ known as the Cryptic region and the asymmetric springtime retreat of the cap have eluded explanation. Here we present observations and climate modelling that indicate...
Authors
Anthony Colaprete, Jeffrey R. Barnes, Robert M. Haberle, Jeffery L. Hollingsworth, Hugh H. Kieffer, Timothy N. Titus
Evidence from Opportunity’s Microscopic Imager for water on Meridiani Planum Evidence from Opportunity’s Microscopic Imager for water on Meridiani Planum
The Microscopic Imager on the Opportunity rover analyzed textures of soils and rocks at Meridiani Planum at a scale of 31 micrometers per pixel. The uppermost millimeter of some soils is weakly cemented, whereas other soils show little evidence of cohesion. Rock outcrops are laminated on a millimeter scale; image mosaics of cross-stratification suggest that some sediments were deposited...
Authors
Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, S. W. Squyres, R. Arvidson, D.S. Bass, J. F. Bell, P. Bertelsen, B. L. Ehlmann, W. Farrand, Lisa R. Gaddis, R. Greeley, J. Grotzinger, A. G. Hayes, S.F. Hviid, J. R. Johnson, B. Jolliff, K.M. Kinch, A. H. Knoll, M.B. Madsen, J.N. Maki, S. M. McLennan, H.Y. McSween, D. W. Ming, J. W. Rice, L. Richter, M. Sims, P. H. Smith, Laurence A. Soderblom, Nicole Spanovich, R. Sullivan, S. Thompson, T. Wdowiak, C. Weitz, P. Whelley
Icelandic analogs to Martian flood lavas Icelandic analogs to Martian flood lavas
We report on new field observations from Icelandic lava flows that have the same surface morphology as many Martian flood lava flows. The Martian flood lavas are characterized by a platy‐ridged surface morphology whose formation is not well understood. The examples on Mars include some of the most pristine lava on the planet and flows >1500 km long. The surfaces of the flows are...
Authors
Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Thorvaldur Thordarson, Alfred McEwen, Henning Haack, Marie-Noelle Guilbaud, Stephen Self, Matti J. Rossi
RADAR: The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper RADAR: The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper
The Cassini RADAR instrument is a multimode 13.8 GHz multiple-beam sensor that can operate as a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imager, altimeter, scatterometer, and radiometer. The principal objective of the RADAR is to map the surface of Titan. This will be done in the imaging, scatterometer, and radiometer modes. The RADAR altimeter data will provide information on relative elevations...
Authors
C. Elachi, M.D. Allison, L. Borgarelli, P. Encrenaz, E. Im, M.A. Janssen, W.T.K. Johnson, Randolph L. Kirk, R. D. Lorenz, J. I. Lunine, D.O. Muhleman, S.J. Ostro, G. Picardi, F. Posa, C.G. Rapley, L.E. Roth, R. Seu, Laurence A. Soderblom, S. Vetrella, S. D. Wall, C. A. Wood, H. A. Zebker
The face of the Moon: Lunar volcanoes and volcanic deposits The face of the Moon: Lunar volcanoes and volcanic deposits
No abstract available.
Authors
Lisa R. Gaddis
Exploring Martian polar atmospheric circulation and surface interactions Exploring Martian polar atmospheric circulation and surface interactions
The northern and southern seasonal polar caps of Mars are formed in the polar night, during their respective autumn and winter seasons, by the condensation of atmospheric CO2directly to the solid phase as ice, snow, and possibly frost. During spring and summer, the seasonal ice sublimes, returning CO2 to the atmosphere. The caps advance and recede in response to seasonal variations in...
Authors
Thomas H. Prettyman, Timothy N. Titus
Textures of the soils and rocks at Gusev Crater from Spirit’s Microscopic Imager Textures of the soils and rocks at Gusev Crater from Spirit’s Microscopic Imager
The Microscopic Imager on the Spirit rover analyzed the textures of the soil and rocks at Gusev crater on Mars at a resolution of 100 micrometers. Weakly bound agglomerates of dust are present in the soil near the Columbia Memorial Station. Some of the brushed or abraded rock surfaces show igneous textures and evidence for alteration rinds, coatings, and veins consistent with secondary
Authors
Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, S. W. Squyres, R. Arvidson, D.S. Bass, J. F. Bell, P. Bertelsen, N.A. Cabrol, Lisa R. Gaddis, A. G. Hayes, S.F. Hviid, J. R. Johnson, K.M. Kinch, M.B. Madsen, J.N. Maki, S. M. McLennan, H.Y. McSween, J. W. Rice, M. Sims, P. H. Smith, Laurence A. Soderblom, Nicole Spanovich, R. Sullivan, A. Wang
Magnetic properties experiments on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater Magnetic properties experiments on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater
The magnetic properties experiments are designed to help identify the magnetic minerals in the dust and rocks on Mars—and to determine whether liquid water was involved in the formation and alteration of these magnetic minerals. Almost all of the dust particles suspended in the martian atmosphere must contain ferrimagnetic minerals (such as maghemite or magnetite) in an amount of ∼2% by...
Authors
P. Bertelsen, W. Goetz, M.B. Madsen, K.M. Kinch, S.F. Hviid, J. M. Knudsen, H.P. Gunnlaugsson, J. Merrison, P. Nornberg, S. W. Squyres, J. F. Bell, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, S. Gorevan, A. S. Yen, T. Myrick, G. Klingelhoefer, R. Rieder, R. Gellert