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Publications

Filter Total Items: 910

Topography of Valles Marineris: Implications for erosional and structural history

Compilation of a simplified geologic/geomorphic map onto digital terrain models of the Valles Marineris permitted an evaluation of elevations in the vicinity of the troughs and the calculation of depth of troughs below surrounding plateaus, thickness of deposits inside the troughs, volumes of void spaces above geologic/geomorphic units, and volumes of deposits. The central troughs north Ophir, nor
Authors
Baerbel K. Lucchitta, N.K. Isbell, Elpitha Howington-Kraus

Coupling of volatile transport and internal heat flow on Triton

Recently Brown et al. (1991) showed that Triton's internal heat source could amount to 5–20% of the absorbed insolation on Triton, thus significantly affecting volatile transport and atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, Kirk and Brown (1991a) used simple analytical models of the effect of internal heat on the distribution of volatiles on Triton's surface, confirming the speculation of Brown et al.
Authors
Robert H. Brown, Randolph L. Kirk

Velocities of the Smith Glacier Ice Tongue and Dotson Ice Shelf, Walgreen Coast, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica

Velocity measurements were made for two time intervals on the Smith Glacier ice tongue (1973–88 and 1988–90) and three on the Dotson Ice Shelf (1972–88, 1973–88 and 1988–90). The Smith Glacier ice tongue velocities for the two intervals are similar near the grounding line but show a progressive increase toward the terminus in the late 1980s. The Dotson Ice Shelf velocities remained virtually const
Authors
Baerbel K. Lucchitta, Kevin F. Mullins, C. E. Smith, Jane G. Ferrigno

Carbonate-Sulfate Volcanism on Venus?

Venusian canali, outflow channels, and associated volcanic deposits resemble fluvial landforms more than they resemble volcanic features on Earth and Mars. Some canali have meandering habits and features indicative of channel migration that are very similar to meandering river channels and flood plains on Earth, venusian outflow channels closely resemble water-carved outflow channels on Mars and t
Authors
Jeffrey S. Kargel, Randolph L. Kirk, Bruce Fegley, Allan H. Treiman

The Geology of Gaspra

The surface of Gaspra can be divided into several facets separated by ridges. Superimposed on the facets and ridges are two populations of craters. Type 1 craters are crisply defined and constitute a production function of impact origin. Type 2 craters are mostly irregular shallow depressions and probably of various origins. Some of the type 2 craters may have formed by impact and be remnants of a
Authors
M. H. Carr, Randolph L. Kirk, A. McEwen, J. Veverka, P. Thomas, J.W. Head, S. Murchie

Galileo Photometry of Asteroid 951 Gaspra

Galileo images of Gaspra make it possible for the first time to determine a main-belt asteroid's photometric properties accurately by providing surface-resolved coverage over a wide range of incidence and emission angles and by extending the phase angle coverage to phases not observable from Earth. We combine Earth-based telescopic photometry over phase angles 2° ≤ α ≤ 25° with Galileo whole-disk
Authors
P. Helfenstein, J. Veverka, P. C. Thomas, D.P. Simonelli, P. Lee, K. Klaasen, T. V. Johnson, H. Breneman, J.W. Head, S. Murchie, F. Fanale, M. Robinson, B. Clark, J. Granahan, H. Garbeil, A. S. McEwen, Randolph L. Kirk, M. Davies, G. Neukum, S. Mottola, R. Wagner, M. Belton, C. Chapman, C. Pilcher

Galileo observations of Post-Imbrium lunar craters during the first Earth-Moon flyby

Copernican‐age craters are among the most conspicuous features seen on the far side and western limb of the Moon in the Galileo multispectral images acquired in December 1990. Among the new morphologic observations of far‐side craters are bright rays, continuous ejecta deposits, and dark rings associated with probable impact‐melt veneers. These observations suggest that the mapped age assignments
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Lisa R. Gaddis, Gerhard Neukum, Harald Hoffman, Carle M. Pieters, James W. Head

Velocity measurements and changes in position of Thwaites Glacier/iceberg tongue from aerial photography, Landsat images and NOAA AVHRR data

The Thwaites Glacier/iceberg tongue complex has been a significant feature of the Antarctic coastline for at least 50 years. In 1986, major changes began to occur in this area. Fast ice melted and several icebergs calved from the base of the iceberg tongue and the terminus of Thwaites Glacier. The iceberg tongue rotated to an east-west orientation and drifted westward. Between 1986 and 1992, a tot
Authors
Jane G. Ferrigno, Baerbel K. Lucchitta, A. L. Mullinsallison, Robert J. Allen, W. G. Gould

Antarctic glacier-tongue velocities from Landsat images: First results

We measured the velocities of six glacier tongues and a few tongues within ice shelves distributed around the Antarctic coastline by determining the displacement of crevasse patterns seen on sequential Landsat images. The velocities range from less than 0.2 km a−1 for East Antarctic ice-shelf tongues to more than 2.5 km a−1 for the Thwaites Glacier Tongue. All glacier tongues show increases in vel
Authors
Baerbel K. Lucchitta, K.F. Mullins, A.L. Allison, Jane G. Ferrigno

Enhanced visualization for the interpretation of Magellan radar data: Supplement to the Magellan special issue

The differences of radar data from more familiar photographic images, coupled with the unique geologic characteristics of Venus's surface, can make interpretation of the standard Magellan data products difficult for both planetary scientists and nonspecialists. We describe a set of digital processing techniques for transforming individual remote‐sensing datasets in order to make the information th
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, Laurence A. Soderblom, Ella M. Lee

The geology and distribution of impact craters on Venus: What are they telling us?

Magellan has revealed an ensemble of impact craters on Venus that is unique in many important ways. We have compiled a data base describing the 842 craters on 89% of Venus' surface mapped through orbit 2578. (The craters range in diameter from 1.5 to 280 km.) We have studied the distribution, size‐density, morphology, geology, and associated surface properties of these craters both in the aggregat
Authors
G. G. Schaber, R.G. Strom, H. J. Moore, Laurence A. Soderblom, Randolph L. Kirk, D.J. Chadwick, D.D. Dawson, Lisa R. Gaddis, J. M. Boyce, Joel F. Russell

Lunar impact basins and crustal heterogeneity: New western limb and far side data from Galileo

Multispectral images of the lunar western limb and far side obtained from Galileo reveal the compositional nature of several prominent lunar features and provide new information on lunar evolution. The data reveal that the ejecta from the Orientale impact basin (900 kilometers in diameter) lying outside the Cordillera Mountains was excavated from the crust, not the mantle, and covers pre-Orientale
Authors
Michael J.S. Belton, James W. Head, Carle m. Pieters, Ronald Greeley, Alfred S. McEwen, G. Neukum, Kenneth P. Klaasen, C.D. Anger, M. H. Carr, C. R. Chapman, M. E. Davies, F. P. Fanale, P.J. Gierasch, R. Greenberg, A. Ingersoll, Torrence Johnson, B. Paczkowski, C.B. Pilcher, J. Veverka