Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Anderson, F. S..
We present estimates for elastic and crustal thickness obtained from a gravity survey of Venusian topographic coronae, and characterize advantages and disadvantages for generating spectral admittance. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Initial elastic and crustal thickness estimates (Te and Zc) for a global set of local admittance inversions with a one degree spacing for Venus provide a global map for interpreting subsurface structure. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
We have used Viking and Mars Global Surveyor data to study the interior layered deposits in detail. We have identified features which may support fluvial activity within Valles Marineris. Stratigraphic relationships indicate the deposits are younger than the wallrock. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Techniques for Using MOC and MOLA Data for Constraining Landing Site Safety are described. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) profiles across wrinkle ridges are characterized by plains surfaces at different elevations on either side that appear best explained by subsurface thrust faults that underlie the ridges and produce the offset.
The gravity of approx. 30 coronae have been studied using 2 admittance methods to assess differences in elastic thickness and to see if they correlate with morphology or geologic setting, in addition to attempting to constrain subsurface structure.
A sand transport model using White's sand flux equation and the Mars beneral circulation model was developed to understand the erosional sources, transport pathways, and depositional sinks of windblown sand on Mars. An initially uniform distribution of sand (4 mm over the entire surface) is reeionally transported based on wind stress, saltation threshold, and percentage of topogaphic trapping. Results are consistsnt with the , observed polar and Hellespontus dunes and Christensen's madeled block size distribution, butonly for an extremely law saltation threshold (0.024 N/sq m): Low thresholds generally result in transport of sand-sized particles originating in the northern mid latitudes to the north pole, and transport from the northern lower latitudes to the southern hemisphere. Our results indicate that the polar dune fields could form in 50,000 years, consistent with the active polar dunes and lack of longitudinal dunes observed on the surface of Mars.
The presence or absence of flexural flanks at the Valles Marineris (VM), Mars, have strong implications for the properties of the lithosphere, information which is critical for models of compensation state and formation of the troughs. Two hypotheses are favored for the formation of the VM, tectonic extension or subsurface withdrawal potentially related to dike emplacement; in either case, the formation of the large troughs at the VM requires a flexural response. After discussing preliminary models of flexure for VM from released Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography, this abstract considers the implications of flexure for gravity modeling and the lithosphere at VM. With future MGS topography and gravity data, and constraints on T(sub e) from this study, significantly better gravity modeling can be done to understand the state of the lithosphere at VM. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Most studies of active aeolian processes on Mars have focused on dust, i.e., particles approximately 1 micron in diameter that are transported in suspension by wind. The presence of sand dunes on Mars indicates that larger grains (approximately greater than 60 microns, transported primarily in saltation) are also present. Although indirect evidence suggests that some dunes may be active, definitive evidence is lacking. Nonetheless, numerous studies demonstrate that sand is substantially easier to transport by wind than dust, and it is reasonable to infer that sand transportation in saltation occurs under present Martian conditions. In order to assess potential source regions, transportation pathways, and sites of deposition for sand on Mars, an iterative sand transport algorithm was developed that is based on the Mars General Circulation Model of Pollack et al. The results of the dust transport model are then compared with observed surface features, such as dune field locations observed on images, and surficial deposits as inferred from Viking IRTM observations. Preliminary results suggest that the north polar dune fields in the vicinity of 270 degrees W, 70 degrees N originated from weathered polar layered plains centered at 280 degrees W, 85 degrees N, and that Thaumasia Fossae, southern Hellas Planitia, and the area west of Hellespontus Montes are sand depositional sites. Examples of transportation 'corridors' include a westward pathway in the latitudinal band 35 degrees N to 45 degrees N, and a pathway southward from Solis Planum to Thaumasia Fossae, among others.
Many proposed missions to Mars involve landing vehicles, including the Mars 94/96 (Russia), Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR, US), and the Marsnet (ESA) missions. Most landers involve in situ measurements of rock and soil compositions, study of local geology by imaging, and establishment of seismic and meteorological networks. The selection of landing sites on Mars is a complex process that must meet engineering constraints and scientific objectives, using available and anticipated data. The goal of the MASS project is to conduct an 'end-to-end' test of the site selection process using Earth analogs.