Publications
Filter Total Items: 910
Comparison of ventifact orientations and recent wind direction indicators on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars
Wind-abraded rocks and aeolian bedforms have been observed at the Mars 2020 Perseverance landing site, providing evidence for recent and older wind directions. This study reports orientations of aeolian features measured in Perseverance images to infer formative wind directions. It compares these measurements with orbital observations, climate model predictions, and wind data acquired by the Mars
Authors
Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Rob Sullivan, Claire E Newman, Gerhard Paar, Mariah Baker, Daniel Viudez-Moreiras, James W. Ashley, Andreas Bechtold, Jorge I Nunez
Inclusive lunar exploration: Lunar Surface Science Workshop virtual session 13
This report reviews and presents findings from the Lunar Surface Science Workshop Virtual Session 13: Inclusive Lunar Exploration. The report consists of a brief introduction to the workshop, followed by summaries of the six workshop sessions, and a synthesis section discussing seven key findings.
Authors
Parvathy Prem, Kristen A. Bennett
Optimizing satellite resources for the global assessment and mitigation of volcanic hazards—Suggestions from the USGS Powell Center Volcano Remote Sensing Working Group
A significant number of the world’s approximately 1,400 subaerial volcanoes with Holocene eruptions are unmonitored by ground-based sensors yet constitute a potential hazard to nearby residents and infrastructure, as well as air travel and global commerce. Data from an international constellation of more than 60 current satellite instruments provide a cost-effective means of tracking activity and
Authors
M. E. Pritchard, M. Poland, K. Reath, B. Andrews, M. Bagnardi, J. Biggs, S. Carn, D. Coppola, S.K. Ebmeier, M.A. Furtney, T. Girona, J. Griswold, T. Lopez, P. Lundgren, S. Ogburn, M. Pavolonis, E. Rumpf, G. Vaughan, C. Wauthier, R. Wessels, R. Wright, K.R. Anderson, M.G. Bato, A. Roman
Spatial and temporal distribution of sinuous ridges in southeastern Terra Sabaea and the northern region of Hellas Planitia, Mars
Sinuous ridges are an important yet understudied component of Mars' hydrologic history. We have produced a map of sinuous ridges, valleys and channels, and tectonic ridges across southeastern Terra Sabaea and into northern Hellas Planitia (10°-45° S, 35°-80° E) using a CTX mosaic. Although we mapped different types of ridges and negative relief features, the focus of this paper are the sinuous rid
Authors
Amber Gullikson, Ryan Anderson, Rebecca M.E. Williams
A large new crater exposes the limits of water ice on Mars
Water ice in the Martian mid-latitudes has advanced and retreated in response to variations in the planet's orbit, obliquity, and climate. A 150 m-diameter new impact crater near 35°N provides the lowest-latitude impact exposure of subsurface ice on Mars. This is the largest known ice-exposing crater and provides key constraints on Martian climate history. This crater indicates a regional, relativ
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Michael T. Mellon, Liliya V Posiolova, Katarina Miljkovic, Gareth S Collins, Livio L. Tornabene, Vidhya Ganesh Rangarajan, Matthew P. Golombek, Nicholas H. Warner, Ingrid J. Daubar, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen, Kimberly D. Seelos, Donna Viola, Ali M Bramson, Gunnar Speth
Giant planet observations in NASA's Planetary Data System
While there have been far fewer missions to the outer Solar System than to the inner Solar System, spacecraft destined for the giant planets have conducted a wide range of fundamental investigations, returning data that continues to reshape our understanding of these complex systems, sometimes decades after the data were acquired. These data are preserved and accessible from national and internati
Authors
Nancy J. Chanover, James M. Bauer, John Joe Jeremiah Blalock, Mitchell K. Gordon, Lyle F. Huber, Mia J. T. Mace, Lynn D. V. Neakrase, Matthew S. Tiscareno, Raymond J. Walker
The cycles driving Io’s tectonics
Io is famous for its active volcanoes, but its vigorous tectonics, which are unlike Earth’s plate tectonics, are no less remarkable. The nature of Io’s thick, cold, brittle lithosphere has been revealed through decades of investigations. The dynamics of this system is most easily explained by considering three cycles: magmatic, tectonic, and sulfurous. The magmatic cycle transports heat by a “heat
Authors
Laszlo P. Kestay, Windy L Jaeger, Jani Radebaugh
Apophis specific action team report
This report about Asteroid (99942) Apophis's Earth close approach on April 13, 2029 was generated by a Specific Action Team (SAT) formed by the Small Body Assessment Group (SBAG) at the request of NASAs Planetary Science Division (PSD). The SAT assessed the current predictions for the effects that may occur due to the close encounter, evaluated observing capabilities, and identified possible inves
Authors
J. L. Dotson, M. Brozovic, S. Chesley, S. Jarmak, N. Moskovitz, A. Rivkin, P. Sanchez, D. Souami, Timothy N. Titus
Planetary caves: A Solar System view of processes and products
We provide the first solar system wide compendium of speleogenic processes and products. An examination of 15 solar system bodies revealed that six cave-forming processes occur beyond Earth including volcanic (cryo and magmatic), fracturing (tectonic and impact melt), dissolution, sublimation, suffusion, and landslides. Although no caves (i.e., confirmed entrances with associated linear passages)
Authors
J. Judson Wynne, John E. Mylroie, Timothy N. Titus, Michael J. Malaska, Debra L. Buczkowski, Peter B. Buhler, Paul K. Byrne, Glen E. Cushing, Ashley Gerard Davies, Amos Frumkin, Candice Hansen-Koharcheck, Victoria Hiatt, Jason D. Hofgartner, Trudi Hoogenboom, Ulyana Horodyskyj, Kynan H. G. Hughson, Laura A. Kerber, Margaret E. Landis, Erin J. Leonard, Elodie Lesage, Alice Lucchetti, Matteo Massironi, Karl L. Mitchell, Luca Penasa, Cynthia B. Phillips, Riccardo Pozzobon, Jani Radebaugh, Francesco Sauro, Robert V. Wagner, Thomas R. Watters
Largest recent impact craters on Mars: Orbital imaging and surface seismic co-investigation
Two 130+ meter diameter impact craters formed on Mars during the later half of 2021. These are the two largest fresh impact craters discovered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter since operations started 16 years ago. The impacts created two of the largest seismic events (magnitudes greater than 4) recorded by InSight during its three year mission. The combination of orbital imagery and seismic gro
Authors
Lilia Posiolova, P Lognonne, W B Banerdt, John Clinton, Gareth S Collins, Taichi Kawamura, S Ceylan, Ingrid J. Daubar, B Fernando, M Froment, D Giardini, Michael C. Malin, Katarina Miljkovic, Simon C Stahler, Z. Xue, Maria E Banks, E Beucler, Bruce A Cantor, C. Charalambous, N Dahmen, Paul W. Davis, Cesar M. Duran, M. Drilleau, Colin M. Dundas, F Euchner, R F Garcia, Matthew P. Golombek, Anna Horleston, C Keegan, Abdul S. Khan, D. Kim, C Larmat, Ralph D. Lorenz, L Margerin, S Menina, Mark Panning, C Pardo, C Perrin, W T Pike, M Plasman, A Rajsic, Lucie Rolland, E Rougier, Gunnar Speth, Aymeric Spiga, Alexander E. Stott, David Susko, N Teanby, A Valeh, A. Werynski, N Wojcicka, G Zenhausern
It’s time for focused in situ studies of planetary surface-atmosphere interactions
A critical gap in planetary observations has been in situ characterization of extra-terrestrial, present-day atmospheric and surface environments and activity. While some surface activity has been observed and some in situ meteorological measurements have been collected by auxiliary instruments on Mars, existing information is insufficient to conclusively characterize the natural processes via con
Authors
Serina Diniega, Nathan Barba, Louis Giersch, Brian Jackson, Alejandro Soto, Don Banfield, Mackenzie D. Day, Gary Doran, Colin M. Dundas, Michael Mischna, Scot Rafkin, Isaac B. Smith, Rob Sullivan, Christy Swann, Timothy N. Titus, Ian J. Walker, Jacob Widmer, Devon M. Burr, Lukas Mandrake, Nathalie Vriend, Kaj E. Williams
Mars Science Laboratory CheMin data from the Glen Torridon region and the significance of lake-groundwater interactions in interpreting mineralogy and sedimentary history
The Glen Torridon (GT) region is positioned in terrains with strong clay mineral signatures, as inferred from orbital spectroscopy. The GT campaign confirmed orbital distinctions with in situ measurements by the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, and the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument with of some of the highest clay mineral abundances to date. Additionally, GT is unique because of dis
Authors
Michael T. Thorpe, T. F. Bristow, E. Rampe, Nicholas Tosca, John P. Grotzinger, Kristen A. Bennett, C. N. Achilles, D. F. Blake, S. J. Chipera, G. Downs, R. T. Downs, S. M. Morrison, V. Tu, N. Castle, P. Craig, D. J. Des Marais, R. M. Hazen, D. W. Ming, R. V. Morris, A. H. Treiman, D. T. Vaniman, A. S. Yen, A. R. Vasavada, Erwin Dehouck, J. Bridges, J.O. Berger, Amy McAdam, T. Peretyazhko, K. Siebach, A. B. Bryk, V. F. Fox, Christopher M. Fedo