Publications
Filter Total Items: 337
Characterization of clouds in Titan's tropical atmosphere Characterization of clouds in Titan's tropical atmosphere
Images of Titan's clouds, possible over the past 10 years, indicate primarily discrete convective methane clouds near the south and north poles and an immense stratiform cloud, likely composed of ethane, around the north pole. Here we present spectral images from Cassini's Visual Mapping Infrared Spectrometer that reveal the increasing presence of clouds in Titan's tropical atmosphere...
Authors
C.A. Griffith, P. Penteado, S. Rodriguez, S. Le Mouelic, K. H. Baines, B. Buratti, R. Clark, P. Nicholson, R. Jaumann, Christophe Sotin
Discovery of jarosite within the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars: Implications for the geologic history of the region Discovery of jarosite within the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars: Implications for the geologic history of the region
Analysis of visible to near infrared reflectance data from the MRO CRISM hyperspectral imager has revealed the presence of an ovoid-shaped landform, approximately 3 by 5 km in size, within the layered terrains surrounding the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel. This feature has spectral absorption features consistent with the presence of the ferric sulfate mineral jarosite, specifically a K...
Authors
W. H. Farrand, T.D. Glotch, J. W. Rice, J.A. Hurowitz, G.A. Swayze
Storm clouds on Saturn: Lightning-induced chemistry and associated materials consistent with Cassini/VIMS spectra Storm clouds on Saturn: Lightning-induced chemistry and associated materials consistent with Cassini/VIMS spectra
Thunderstorm activity on Saturn is associated with optically detectable clouds that are atypically dark throughout the near-infrared. As observed by Cassini/VIMS, these clouds are ~20% less reflective than typical neighboring clouds throughout the spectral range from 0.8 ??m to at least 4.1 ??m. We propose that active thunderstorms originating in the 10-20 bar water-condensation region...
Authors
K. H. Baines, M.L. Delitsky, T.W. Momary, R. H. Brown, B. J. Buratti, R. N. Clark, P. D. Nicholson
Fast forward modeling of Titan's infrared spectra to invert VIMS/Cassini hyperspectral images Fast forward modeling of Titan's infrared spectra to invert VIMS/Cassini hyperspectral images
The surface of Titan, the largest icy moon of Saturn, is veiled by a very thick and hazy atmosphere. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since July 2004, conduct an intensive survey of Titan with the objective to understand the complex nature of the atmosphere and surface of the mysterious moon and the way they interact...
Authors
S. Rodriguez, Stéphane Le Mouélic, P. Rannou, J. #NAME? Combe, L.L. Corre, G. Tobie, J. W. Barnes, Christophe Sotin, R. H. Brown, K. H. Baines, B. J. Buratti, R. N. Clark, P. D. Nicholson
VIMS spectral mapping observations of Titan during the Cassini prime mission VIMS spectral mapping observations of Titan during the Cassini prime mission
This is a data paper designed to facilitate the use of and comparisons to Cassini/visual and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) spectral mapping data of Saturn's moon Titan. We present thumbnail orthographic projections of flyby mosaics from each Titan encounter during the Cassini prime mission, 2004 July 1 through 2008 June 30. For each flyby we also describe the encounter geometry...
Authors
J. W. Barnes, J.M. Soderblom, R. H. Brown, B. J. Buratti, Christophe Sotin, K. H. Baines, R. N. Clark, R. Jaumann, T. B. McCord, R. Nelson, S. Le Mouelic, S. Rodriguez, C. Griffith, P. Penteado, F. Tosi, K.M. Pitman, L. Soderblom, K. Stephan, P. Hayne, G. Vixie, J.-P. Bibring, G. Bellucci, F. Capaccioni, P. Cerroni, A. Coradini, D. P. Cruikshank, P. Drossart, V. Formisano, Y. Langevin, D. L. Matson, P. D. Nicholson, B. Sicardy
Fossils, lithologies, and geophysical logs of the Mancos Shale from core hole USGS CL-1 in Montrose County, Colorado Fossils, lithologies, and geophysical logs of the Mancos Shale from core hole USGS CL-1 in Montrose County, Colorado
As part of a multidisciplinary investigation of Mancos Shale landscapes in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area in Delta and Montrose Counties of western Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation, a core of the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale was obtained from a borehole, USGS CL-1, in NE1/4 sec. 8, T. 50 N., R. 9 W....
Authors
Bridget A. Ball, W. A. Cobban, E.A. Merewether, R. I. Grauch, K.C. McKinney, K.E. Livo
Global circulation as the main source of cloud activity on Titan Global circulation as the main source of cloud activity on Titan
Clouds on Titan result from the condensation of methane and ethane and, as on other planets, are primarily structured by circulation of the atmosphere. At present, cloud activity mainly occurs in the southern (summer) hemisphere, arising near the pole and at mid-latitudes from cumulus updrafts triggered by surface heating and/or local methane sources, and at the north (winter) pole...
Authors
S. Rodriguez, S. Le Mouelic, P. Rannou, G. Tobie, K. H. Baines, J. W. Barnes, C.A. Griffith, M. Hirtzig, K.M. Pitman, Christophe Sotin, R. H. Brown, B. J. Buratti, R. N. Clark, P. D. Nicholson
Detection of adsorbed water and hydroxyl on the moon Detection of adsorbed water and hydroxyl on the moon
Data from the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIAAS) on Cassini during its flyby of the AAoon in 1999 show a broad absorption at 3 micrometers due to adsorbed water and near 2.8 micrometers attributed to hydroxyl in the sunlit surface on the AAoon. The amounts of water indicated in the spectra depend on the type of mixing and the grain sizes in the rocks and soils but could be...
Authors
R. N. Clark
Reflectance spectroscopy of organic compounds: 1. Alkanes Reflectance spectroscopy of organic compounds: 1. Alkanes
Reflectance spectra of the organic compounds comprising the alkane series are presented from the ultraviolet to midinfrared, 0.35 to 15.5 /??m. Alkanes are hydrocarbon molecules containing only single carbon-carbon bonds, and are found naturally on the Earth and in the atmospheres of the giant planets and Saturn's moon, Titan. This paper presents the spectral properties of the alkanes as...
Authors
R. N. Clark, J. M. Curchin, T.M. Hoefen, G.A. Swayze
Photometric changes on Saturn's Titan: Evidence for active cryovolcanism Photometric changes on Saturn's Titan: Evidence for active cryovolcanism
We report infrared spectrophotometric variability on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan detected in images returned by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini Saturn Orbiter. The changes were observed at 7°S, 138°W and occurred between October 27, 2005 and January 15, 2006. After that date the surface was unchanged until the most recent observation, March...
Authors
Robert M. Nelson, Lucas W. Kamp, Rosaly Lopes, Dennis L. Matson, Randolph L. Kirk, Bruce W. Hapke, Stephen D. Wall, Mark D. Boryta, Frank E. Leader, William D. Smythe, Karl L. Mitchell, Kevin H. Baines, Ralf Jaumann, Christophe Sotin, Roger N. Clark, Dale P. Cruikshank, Pierre Drossart, Jonathan I. Lunine, Michel Combes, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jean-Pierre Bibring, Fabrizio Capaccioni, Pricilla Cerroni, Angioletta Coradini, Vittorio Formisano, Gianrico Filacchione, Yves Langevin, Thomas B. McCord, Vito Mennella, Philip D. Nicholson, Bruno Sicardy, Patrick G.J. Irwin, John C. Pearl
The geology of Hotei Regio, Titan: Correlation of Cassini VIMS and RADAR The geology of Hotei Regio, Titan: Correlation of Cassini VIMS and RADAR
Joint Cassini VIMS and RADAR SAR data of ∼700-km-wide Hotei Regio reveal a rich collection of geological features that correlate between the two sets of images. The degree of correlation is greater than anywhere else seen on Titan. Central to Hotei Regio is a basin filled with cryovolcanic flows that are anomalously bright in VIMS data (in particular at 5 μm) and quite variable in...
Authors
L.A. Soderblom, R. H. Brown, J.M. Soderblom, J. W. Barnes, R. L. Kirk, Christophe Sotin, R. Jaumann, D. J. MacKinnon, D.W. Mackowski, K. H. Baines, B. J. Buratti, R. N. Clark, P. D. Nicholson
Mapping potentialy asbestos-bearing rocks using imaging spectroscopy Mapping potentialy asbestos-bearing rocks using imaging spectroscopy
Rock and soil that may contain naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), a known human carcinogen, were mapped in the Sierra Nevada, California, using the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) to determine if these materials could be uniquely identified with spectroscopy. Such information can be used to prepare or refine maps of areas that may contain minerals that can be...
Authors
G.A. Swayze, R.F. Kokaly, C.T. Higgins, J.P. Clinkenbeard, R. N. Clark, H.A. Lowers, S. J. Sutley