Publications
Filter Total Items: 959
New, dated small impacts on the South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD), Mars, and implications for shallow subsurface properties New, dated small impacts on the South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD), Mars, and implications for shallow subsurface properties
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) imaged two newly formed impact craters on the South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD) of Mars in 2018 and 2020. These two new craters, the first detected on the SPLD, measure ∼17 m and ∼48 m in diameter. Follow-up observations were conducted with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), showing seasonal and...
Authors
Margaret E. Landis, Colin M. Dundas, Alfred McEwen, Ingrid Daubar, Paul Hayne, Shane Byrne, Sarah Sutton, Vidhya Rangarajan, Livio Tornabene, Andrew Britton, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff
Novel quantitative methods to enable multispectral identification of high-purity water ice exposures on Mars using High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images Novel quantitative methods to enable multispectral identification of high-purity water ice exposures on Mars using High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images
Reliable detection and characterization of water ice on the Martian surface is pivotal to not only understand its present and past climate, but to also provide valuable information on in-situ resource availability and distribution for future human exploration missions. Ice-rich features are currently identified with visible/near-IR (VNIR), thermal IR and radar data. However, their coarse...
Authors
Vidhya Rangarajan, Livio Tornabene, G. Osinski, Colin M. Dundas, Ross Beyer, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Shane Byrne, Rodney Heyd, Frank Seelos, G. Munaretto, Angela Dapremont
Geological context and significance of the clay-sulfate transition region in Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars: An integrated assessment based on orbiter and rover data Geological context and significance of the clay-sulfate transition region in Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars: An integrated assessment based on orbiter and rover data
On Mars, phyllosilicate (“clay”) minerals are often associated with older terrains, and sulfate minerals are associated with younger terrains, and this dichotomy is taken as evidence that Mars’ surface dried up over time. Therefore, in situ investigation of the Mount Sharp strata in Gale crater, which record a shift from dominantly clay-bearing to sulfate-bearing minerals, as seen in...
Authors
Melissa Meyer, Ralph Milliken, Kathryn Stack, Lauren Edgar, Elizabeth Rampe, Madison Turner, Kevin Lewis, Edwin Kite, Gwenael Caravaca, Ashwin Vasavada, William Dietrich, Alex Bryk, Olivier Gasnault, Stephane Le Mouelic, Christina Seeger, Rachel Sheppard
Seismically detected cratering on Mars: Enhanced recent impact flux? Seismically detected cratering on Mars: Enhanced recent impact flux?
Seismic observations of impacts on Mars indicate a higher impact flux than previously measured. Using six confirmed seismic impact detections near the NASA InSight lander and two distant large impacts, we calculate appropriate scalings to compare these rates with lunar-based chronology models. We also update the impact rate from orbital observations using the most recent catalog of new...
Authors
Ingrid Daubar, Raphael F. Garcia, Alexander Stott, Benjamin Fernando, Gareth Collins, Colin M. Dundas, Natalia Wojcicka, Geraldine Zenhausern, Alfred McEwen, Simon C. Stahler, Matthew Golombek, Constantinos Charalambous, Domenico Giardini, Philippe Lognonne, W. Bruce Banerdt
A survey of the severity of mental health symptoms in the planetary science community A survey of the severity of mental health symptoms in the planetary science community
There is a growing recognition of a mental health crisis within the academic and research communities. Members of the planetary science community have called for healthier work environments to improve mental well-being. As a preliminary step towards improving workplace culture, we sought to determine whether the broader mental health crisis extends to planetary science and to assess the...
Authors
David Trang, Christina Swafford, Tamar Kreps, Steven Vance, Jemma Davidson, Justin Filiberto, Lillian Ostrach, Christina Richey
The evolution of a young ocean within Mimas The evolution of a young ocean within Mimas
The fractured, young surfaces on confirmed ocean worlds such as Europa and Enceladus suggest that ocean-bearing moons with relatively thin overlying ice shells should be easy to identify. Hence, the discovery that Mimas’ rotation state is best explained by an internal ocean seems challenging to reconcile with its heavily cratered surface. Previous studies have shown that an internal...
Authors
A. Rhoden, M. Walker, M. Rudolph, Michael Bland, Michael Manga
A new database of giant impacts over a wide range of masses and with material strength: A first analysis of outcomes A new database of giant impacts over a wide range of masses and with material strength: A first analysis of outcomes
In the late stage of terrestrial planet formation, planets are predicted to undergo pairwise collisions known as giant impacts. Here, we present a high-resolution database of giant impacts for differentiated colliding bodies of iron–silicate composition, with target masses ranging from 1 × 10−4M⊕ up to super-Earths (5 M⊕). We vary the impactor-to-target mass ratio, core–mantle (iron...
Authors
Alexandre Emsenhuber, Erik Asphaug, Saverio Cambioni, Travis Gabriel, Stephen Schwartz, Robert Melikyan, C. Denton
How, when and where current mass flows in Martian gullies are driven by CO2 sublimation How, when and where current mass flows in Martian gullies are driven by CO2 sublimation
Martian gullies resemble water-carved gullies on Earth, yet their present-day activity cannot be explained by water-driven processes. The sublimation of CO2 has been proposed as an alternative driver for sediment transport, but how this mechanism works remains unknown. Here we combine laboratory experiments of CO2-driven granular flows under Martian atmospheric pressure with 1D climate...
Authors
Lonneke Roelofs, Susan Conway, Tjalling de Haas, Colin M. Dundas, Stephen Lewis, Jim McElwaine, Kelly Pasquon, Jan Raack, Matt Sylvest, Manish Patel
Measuring erosional and depositional patterns across Comet 67P's imhotep region Measuring erosional and depositional patterns across Comet 67P's imhotep region
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko displays a pronounced hemispherical dichotomy in surface morphology, where the southern hemisphere exhibits more erosional features than the northern hemisphere due to receiving much greater solar radiation. Consequently, it is generally assumed that particles are ejected from the southern hemisphere through sublimation and a significant fraction...
Authors
Abhinav Jindal, Samuel Birch, Alexander Hayes, F. Ozyurt, A. Issah, S. Moruzzi, N. Barrington, Jason Soderblom, Randolph Kirk, R. Marschall, J.-B. Vincent
Planned geological investigations of the Europa Clipper mission Planned geological investigations of the Europa Clipper mission
Geological investigations planned for the Europa Clipper mission will examine the formation, evolution, and expression of geomorphic structures found on the surface. Understanding geologic features, their formation, and any recent activity are key inputs in constraining Europa’s potential for habitability. In addition to providing information about the moon’s habitability, the geologic...
Authors
I. Daubar, A. Hayes, Gail Collins, K. Craft, J. Rathbun, J.R. Spencer, D. Wyrick, Michael Bland, A. Davies, C. Ernst, Samuel Howell, Erin Leonard, Alfred McEwen, J. Moore, C. Phillips, L. Prockter, L. Quick, J. Scully, J. Soderblom, S. Brooks, M. Cable, M. Cameron, K. Chan, C. Chivers, M. Choukroun, Corey Cochrane, S. Diniega, A. Dombard, Catherine Elder, Christopher Gerekos, Christopher Glein, T Greathouse, C. Grima, Murthy Gudipati, K. Hand, C. Hansen, Paul Hayne, M. Hedman, K. Hughson, X. Jia, J. Lawrence, H. Meyer, H. Miller, Gerald Patterson, D Persaud, S. Piqueux, K. Retherford, Kirk Scanlan, P. Schenk, B. Schmidt, D. Schroeder, Gregor Steinbrugge, A. Stern, Gabriel Tobie, Paul Withers, D. A. Young, B. Buratti, Haje Korth, D. Senske, Robert Pappalardo
Current status of the community sensor model standard for the generation of planetary digital terrain models Current status of the community sensor model standard for the generation of planetary digital terrain models
The creation of accurate elevation models (topography) from stereo images are critical for a large variety of geospatial activities, including the production of digital orthomosaics, change detection, landing site analysis, geologic mapping, rover traverse planning, and spectral analysis. The United Stated Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, continues to transition the...
Authors
Trent Hare, Randolph Kirk, Michael Bland, Donna Galuszka, Jason Laura, David Mayer, Bonnie Redding, Benjamin Wheeler
Evolution of a lake margin recorded in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars Evolution of a lake margin recorded in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars
This study uses data from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover to document the facies of the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, interpret paleoenvironments, and establish key stratigraphic transitions at Gale crater. Two facies associations were identified: Facies Association 1 (FA1) and Facies Association 2 (FA2). Individual facies in FA1 include planar-laminated...
Authors
Samantha Gwizd, Christopher Fedo, John Grotzinger, Steve Banham, Frances Rivera-Hernandez, Sanjeev Gupta, Kathryn Stack, Lauren Edgar, Ashwin Vasavada, Joel Davis, Linda Kah