Publications
Filter Total Items: 988
Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice
A range of observations indicates widespread subsurface ice throughout the mid and high latitudes of Mars in the form of both pore-filling and excess ice. It is generally thought that this ice was recently emplaced and is not older than a hundred thousand to a few millions of years old based on ice stability and orbital-induced climate change. We analyze the distribution of subsurface...
Authors
Donna Viola, Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne
Forming Ganymede’s grooves at smaller strain: Toward a self-consistent local and global strain history for Ganymede Forming Ganymede’s grooves at smaller strain: Toward a self-consistent local and global strain history for Ganymede
The ubiquity of tectonic features formed in extension, and the apparent absence of ones formed in contraction, has led to the hypothesis that Ganymede has undergone global expansion in its past. Determining the magnitude of such expansion is challenging however, and extrapolation of locally or regionally inferred strains to global scales often results in strain estimates that exceed...
Authors
Michael T. Bland, W. B. McKinnon
Ceres: predictions for near-surface water ice stability and implications for plume generating processes Ceres: predictions for near-surface water ice stability and implications for plume generating processes
This paper will constrain the possible sources and processes for the formation of recently observed H2O vapor plumes above the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. Two hypotheses have been proposed: (1) cryovolcanism where the water source is the mantle and the heating source is still unknown or (2) comet-like sublimation where near-surface water ice is vaporized by seasonally increasing...
Authors
Timothy N. Titus
Asteroid photometry Asteroid photometry
Asteroid photometry has three major applications: providing clues about asteroid surface physical properties and compositions, facilitating photometric corrections, and helping design and plan ground-based and spacecraft observations. The most significant advances in asteroid photometry in the past decade were driven by spacecraft observations that collected spatially resolved imaging...
Authors
Jian-Yang Li, Paul Helfenstein, Bonnie J. Buratti, Driss Takir, Beth Ellen Clark
Micrometer-scale U–Pb age domains in eucrite zircons, impact re-setting, and the thermal history of the HED parent body Micrometer-scale U–Pb age domains in eucrite zircons, impact re-setting, and the thermal history of the HED parent body
Meteoritic zircons are rare, but some are documented to occur in asteroidal meteorites, including those of the howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED) achondrite clan (Rubin, A. [1997]. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 32, 231–247). The HEDs are widely considered to originate from the Asteroid 4 Vesta. Vesta and the other large main belt asteroids record an early bombardment history. To explore this...
Authors
M.D. Hopkins, S.J. Mojzsis, W.F. Bottke, Oleg Abramov
Context of ancient aqueous environments on Mars from in situ geologic mapping at Endeavour Crater Context of ancient aqueous environments on Mars from in situ geologic mapping at Endeavour Crater
Using the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, we have compiled one of the first field geologic maps on Mars while traversing the Noachian terrain along the rim of the 22 km diameter Endeavour Crater (Latitude −2°16′33″, Longitude −5°10′51″). In situ mapping of the petrographic, elemental, structural, and stratigraphic characteristics of outcrops and rocks distinguishes four mappable...
Authors
L.S. Crumpler, R. E. Arvidson, J. Bell, B. C. Clark, B. A. Cohen, W. H. Farrand, Ralf Gellert, M. Golombek, J. A. Grant, E. Guinness, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, J. R. Johnson, B. Jolliff, D. W. Ming, D. W. Mittlefehldt, T. Parker, J. W. Rice, S. W. Squyres, R. Sullivan, A. S. Yen
Understanding the signature of rock coatings in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data Understanding the signature of rock coatings in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data
Surface compositional features on rocks such as coatings and weathering rinds provide important information about past aqueous environments and water–rock interactions. The search for these features represents an important aspect of the Curiosity rover mission. With its unique ability to do fine-scale chemical depth profiling, the ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument...
Authors
Nina L. Lanza, Ann M. Ollila, Agnes Cousin, Roger C. Wiens, Samuel M. Clegg, Nicolas Mangold, Nathan Bridges, Daniel Cooper, Mariek E. Schmidt, Jeffrey Berger, Raymond E. Arvidson, Noureddine Melikechi, Horton E. Newsom, Robert Tokar, Craig Hardgrove, Alissa Mezzacappa, Ryan S. Jackson, Benton C. Clark, Olivier Forni, Sylvestre Maurice, Marion Nachon, Ryan B. Anderson, Jennifer Blank, Matthew Deans, Dorothea Delapp, Richard Léveillé, Rhonda McInroy, Ronald Martinez, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Patrick Pinet
Astronomical observations of volatiles on asteroids Astronomical observations of volatiles on asteroids
We have long known that water and hydroxyl are important components in meteorites and asteroids. However, in the time since the publication of Asteroids III, evolution of astronomical instrumentation, laboratory capabilities, and theoretical models have led to great advances in our understanding of H2O/OH on small bodies, and spacecraft observations of the Moon and Vesta have important
Authors
Andrew S. Rivkin, Humberto Campins, Joshua P. Emery, Ellen S. Howell, Javier Licandro, Driss Takir, Faith Vilas
Small crater modification on Meridiani Planum and implications for erosion rates and climate change on Mars Small crater modification on Meridiani Planum and implications for erosion rates and climate change on Mars
A morphometric and morphologic catalog of ~100 small craters imaged by the Opportunity rover over the 33.5 km traverse between Eagle and Endeavour craters on Meridiani Planum shows craters in six stages of degradation that range from fresh and blocky to eroded and shallow depressions ringed by planed off rim blocks. The age of each morphologic class from
Authors
M.P. Golombek, N.H. Warner, V. Ganti, M.P. Lamb, T. J. Parker, Robin L. Fergason, R. Sullivan
A new analysis of Mars "Special Regions": findings of the Second MEPAG Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2) A new analysis of Mars "Special Regions": findings of the Second MEPAG Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2)
A committee of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) has reviewed and updated the description of Special Regions on Mars as places where terrestrial organisms might replicate (per the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy). This review and update was conducted by an international team (SR-SAG2) drawn from both the biological science and Mars exploration communities, focused on
Authors
John D. Rummel, David W. Beaty, Melissa A. Jones, Corien Bakermans, Nadine G. Barlow, Penelope J. Boston, Vincent F. Chevrier, Benton C. Clark, Jean-Pierre P. de Vera, Raina V. Gough, John E. Hallsworth, James W. Head, Victoria J. Hipkin, Thomas L. Kieft, Alfred S. McEwen, Michael T. Mellon, Jill A. Mikucki, Wayne L. Nicholson, Christopher R. Omelon, Ronald Peterson, Eric E. Roden, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Kenneth L. Tanaka, Donna Viola, James J. Wray
Surveying the South Pole-Aitken basin magnetic anomaly for remnant impactor metallic iron Surveying the South Pole-Aitken basin magnetic anomaly for remnant impactor metallic iron
The Moon has areas of magnetized crust ("magnetic anomalies"), the origins of which are poorly constrained. A magnetic anomaly near the northern rim of South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin was recently postulated to originate from remnant metallic iron emplaced by the SPA basin-forming impactor. Here, we remotely examine the regolith of this SPA magnetic anomaly with a combination of Clementine...
Authors
Joshua T.S. Cahill, Justin Hagerty, David M. Lawrence, Rachel L. Klima, David T. Blewett
The birth and death of transverse aeolian ridges on Mars The birth and death of transverse aeolian ridges on Mars
Transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) are small bright windblown deposits found throughout the Martian tropics that stand a few meters tall and are spaced a few tens of meters apart. The origin of these features remains mysterious more than 20 years after their discovery on Mars. This paper presents a new hypothesis, that some of the TARs could be indurated dust deposits emplaced millions of...
Authors
Paul E. Geissler