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At least 181 records · Page 10

Digital solar system geology

All available synoptic maps of the solid-surface bodies of the Solar System were digitized for presentation in the planned Atlas of the Solar System by Greeley and Batson. Since the last report (Batson et al., 1990), preliminary Uranian satellite maps were replaced with improved versions, Galilean satellite geology was simplified and digitized, structure was added to many maps, and the maps were converted to a standard format, with corresponding standing colors for the mapped units. Following these changes, the maps were re-reviewed by their authors and are now undergoing final editing before preparation for publication. In some cases (for Mercury, Venus, and Mars), more detailed maps were digitized and then simplified for the Atlas. Other detailed maps are planned to be digitized in the coming year for the Moon and the Galilean satellites. For most of the remaining bodies such as the Uranian satellites, the current digitized versions contain virtually all the detail that can be mapped given the available data; those versions will be unchanged for the Atlas. These digital geologic maps are archived at the digital scale of 1/16 degree/ pixel, in sinusoidal format. The availability of geology of the Solar System in a digital database will facilitate comparisons and integration with other data: digitized lunar geologic maps have already been used in a comparison with Galileo SSI observations of the Moon.

Batson, R. M.↗

Geology of the Apollo 14 landing site.

Apollo 14 landed in the Fra Mauro region of the moon, within about 1,100 m of a 90 m high ridge of the Fra Mauro formation, interpreted as being ejecta from the Imbrium Basin. The primary geologic objective of the mission was to sample ejecta from Cone Crater, which is 340 m in diameter and penetrates at least 60 m into the ridge. Data from the mission strongly support the Imbrian ejecta origin for the Fra Mauro formation. Returned samples and photographs show that ejecta from Cone Crater is composed of composite breccias that include multiple clasts of still older, pre-Imbrian, breccias. Cone Crater ejecta displays a wide range of thermal metamorphism effects. Samples from the valley where the Lunar Module landed, which was not on a recognizable ray of ejecta from Cone Crater, are predominantly fines and poorly consolidated breccias formed by the disintegration of Fra Mauro rocks and probably are not volcanic rocks as had been postulated before the mission.

Sutton, R. L.↗

Ice Lens Formation and Frost Heave at the Phoenix Landing Site

Several lines of evidence indicate that the volume of shallow ground ice in the martian high latitudes exceeds the pore volume of the host regolith. Boynton et al. found an optimal fit to the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) data at the Phoenix landing site by modeling a buried layer of 50-75% ice by mass (up to 90% ice by volume). Thermal and optical observations of recent impact craters in the northern hemisphere have revealed nearly pure ice. Ice deposits containing only 1-2% soil by volume were excavated by Phoenix. The leading hypothesis for the origin of this excess ice is that it developed in situ by a mechanism analogous to the formation of terrestrial ice lenses and needle ice. Problematically, terrestrial soil-ice segregation is driven by freeze/thaw cycling and the movement of bulk water, neither of which are expected to have occurred in the geologically recent past on Mars. If however ice lens formation is possible at temperatures less than 273 K, there are possible implications for the habitability of Mars permafrost, since the same thin films of unfrozen water that lead to ice segregation are used by terrestrial psychrophiles to metabolize and grow down to temperatures of at least 258 K.

Zent, A. P.↗

Ice Lens Formation, Frost Heave, Thin Films, and the Importance of the Polar H2O Reservoir at High Obliquity

Several lines of evidence indicate that the volume of shallow ground ice in the martian high latitudes exceeds the pore volume of the host regolith. Boynton et al. found an optimal fit to the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) data at the Phoenix landing site by modeling a buried layer of 50-75% ice by mass (up to 90% ice by volume). Thermal and optical observations of recent impact craters in the northern hemisphere have revealed nearly pure ice. Ice deposits containing only 1-2% soil by volume were excavaged by Phoenix. One hypothesis for the origin of this excess ice is that it developed in situ by a mechanism analogous to the formation of terrestrial ice lenses and needle ice. Problematically, terrestrial soil-ice segregation is driven by freeze/thaw cycling and the movement of bulk water, neither of which are expected to have occurred in the geologically recent past on Mars. If however ice lens formation is possible at temperatures less than 273 K, there are possible implications for the habitability of Mars permafrost, since the same thin films of unfrozen water that lead to ice segregation are used by terrestrial psychrophiles to metaboluze and grow down to temperatures of at least 258 K.

Zent, A. P.↗

The Origin of the Terra Meridiani Sediments: Volatile Transport and the Formation of Sulfate Bearing Layered Deposits on Mars

The chemistry, sedimentology, and geology of the Meridiani sedimentary deposits are best explained by eolian reworking of the sublimation residue of a large scale ice/dust deposit. This large ice deposit was located in close proximity to Terra Meridiani and incorporated large amounts of dust, sand, and SO2 aerosols generated by impacts and volcanism during early martian history. Sulfate formation and chemical weathering of the initial igneous material is hypothesized to have occurred inside of the ice when the darker mineral grains were heated by solar radiant energy. This created conditions in which small films of liquid water were created in and around the mineral grains. This water dissolved the SO2 and reacted with the mineral grains forming an acidic environment under low water/rock conditions. Subsequent sublimation of this ice deposit left behind large amounts of weathered sublimation residue which became the source material for the eolian process that deposited the Terra Meridiani deposit. The following features of the Meridiani sediments are best explained by this model: The large scale of the deposit, its mineralogic similarity across large distances, the cation-conservative nature of the weathering processes, the presence of acidic groundwaters on a basaltic planet, the accumulation of a thick sedimentary sequence outside of a topographic basin, and the low water/rock ratio needed to explain the presence of very soluble minerals and elements in the deposit. Remote sensing studies have linked the Meridiani deposits to a number of other martian surface features through mineralogic similarities, geomorphic similarities, and regional associations. These include layered deposits in Arabia Terra, interior layered deposits in the Valles Marineris system, southern Elysium/Aeolis, Amazonis Planitia, and the Hellas basin, Aram Chaos, Aureum Chaos, and Ioni Chaos. The common properties shared by these deposits suggest that all of these deposits share a common formation process which must have acted over a large area of Mars. The results of this study suggest a mechanism for volatile transport on Mars without invoking an early greenhouse. They also imply a common formation mechanism for most of the sulfate minerals and layered deposits on Mars, which explains their common occurrence.

Niles, P.B.↗

Monitoring Floods with NASA's ST6 Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment: Implications on Planetary Exploration

NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) [1-3] has been successfully demonstrated in Earth-orbit. NASA has identified the development of an autonomously operating spacecraft as a necessity for an expanded program of missions exploring the Solar System. The versatile ASE spacecraft command and control, image formation, and science processing software was uploaded to the Earth Observer 1 (EO-1) spacecraft in early 2004 and has been undergoing onboard testing since May 2004 for the near real-time detection of surface modification related to transient geological and hydrological processes such as volcanism [4], ice formation and retreat [5], and flooding [6]. Space autonomy technology developed as part of ASE creates the new capability to autonomously detect, assess, react to, and monitor dynamic events such as flooding. Part of the challenge has been the difficulty to observe flooding in real time at sufficient temporal resolutions; more importantly, it is the large spatial extent of most drainage networks coupled with the size of the data sets necessary to be downlinked from satellites that make it difficult to monitor flooding from space. Below is a description of the algorithms (referred to as ASE Flood water Classifiers) used in tandem with the Hyperion spectrometer instrument on EO-1 to identify flooding and some of the test results.

Ip, Felipe↗

Plains tectonism on Venus: Inferences from canali longitudinal profiles

Canali-type channels on Venus show inverted profile segments; that is, large portions of the channels trend uphill. The original gradients for these channels were not horizontal, but must have progressively trended downhill. Therefore, undulation patterns imposed on the profiles have to be the result of tectonism occurring since channel formation. This implies that some of the uppermost geological units of the plains, which are coincident with canali, experienced significant postemplacement tectonic deformation. The pattern of deformation is hierarchical. Within observational limits, at least two scales of deformation are indicated. The longer scale deformation (thousands of kilometers) corresponds to large-scale basins; the shorter scale deformation (hundreds of kilometers) corresponds to ridge belts or to small-scale domes/basins. The latter features, at scales up to a few hundred kilometers, extensively deform some plain areas. Although not appearing in the topographic profiles because of resolution limitations, deformation scales of tens of kilometers or less, which mostly reflect wrinkle ridges, also overlap the longer deformation scales. The channels probably formed relatively quickly in comparison to the time scale of deformation. Canali formation is closely related to the genesis of plains, and canali profile deformation reflects tectonic processes operating at multiple scales. The lower limit rates of large-scale tectonic warping are comparable to epeirogenetic deformation rates for Earth's intraplate continental interiors.

Komatsu, Goro↗

First-results from the Perseverance SHERLOC Investigation: Aqueous Alteration Processes and Implications for Organic Geochemistry in Jezero Crater, Mars

The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater, a site selected to fulfill the Mars-2020 mission goals of characterizing the geology of habitable environments and searching for signs of life while collecting samples for return to Earth [1]. Jezero hosted an open-basin lake during the late Noachian/early Hesperian (~3.7 Ga) [1-2], has units associated with the largest carbonate deposit identified on Mars [3-4], and has a well-preserved delta with clay and carbonate-bearing sediments, well-suited to preservation of organics [1,3-4]. Investigating the nature of organics and aqueous environments within their geologic con-text allows us to understand important aqueous processes and determine habitability within Jezero crater. Previous in situ landed measurements of organics could not resolve their spatial and mineralogical con-text [5-6]. Although Martian meteorites lack geological context, the spatial distribution of organic compounds in Martian meteorites have allowed recognition of an association between aqueous processes and organics [7-8]. Here, we show for the first time in-situ associations between carbonate-forming ultramafic alteration process, later stage aqueous sulfate and perchlorate formation, and organics on the Martian surface. Methodology and geological context: We use the Perseverance rover’s SHERLOC instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Lumines-ence of Organics and Chemicals), a deep-ultraviolet fluorescence and Raman scattering spectrometer capable of mapping the organic and mineral composition with a spatial resolution of 100 μm resolution to report the presence of organics and aqueously formed minerals at Jezero crater [9]. These spectral detections were compared with co-located images obtained with the autofocus context imager (ACI) and the WATSON camera for textural analysis [9]. As of writing, the Per-severance rover has abraded five targets that were measured with the SHERLOC instrument. The five targets are located in two different orbitally-identified geological units within the floor of Jezero crater; the Crater Floor Fractured Rough unit (CF-Fr) and the Séítah region within the Crater Floor Fractured 1 unit (CF-F1) [10]. In orbital infrared spectroscopic data, the CF-Fr unit is associated with pyroxene spectral signatures and minor alteration, while the Séítah region is associated with olivine and minor Mg-rich carbonates and clays [3-4,10]. Carbonation of ultramafic protolith recorded within Jezero crater: All scans of abraded targets within the Séítah region reveal strong peaks at 1080–1090 cm−1 consistent with carbonate and peak singlets or doublets at 820–840 cm−1 attributed to olivine (Fig. 1), consistent with orbital infrared observations. Our detailed micron-scale petrographic and spectroscopic evidence shows that these carbonates formed through carbonation of an ultramafic protolith. The supporting observations include: (1) Carbonate cation compositions match those of olivine, suggesting mixed Fe- and Mg-olivine gave rise to mixed Fe- and Mg-carbonates, similar to observations of ultramafic systems on Earth and within Martian meteorites [3-4,7-8]. (2) The ob-served carbonates co-occur with hydrated materials, gypsum, and potentially aqueously-formed phases, amorphous silicates and phosphate. (3) The spectral and textural variation of olivine and carbonate dominated zones and olivine-carbonate mixtures within both primary grains and interstitial zones are expected for carbonated ultramafic protoliths. (4) These mineral associations and textures closely resemble those observed within the ALH84001 and Nakhlite meteorites attributed to olivine carbonation on Mars [6-7]. Taken together, micron-scale SHERLOC documentation of these phenomena bridge previous orbital and meteorite observations and demonstrate in-situ regionally extensive (~106 km2) ultramafic alteration resulting in geo-logical deposition of carbonates. Furthermore, we observe that olivine carbonation was involved in preserving and possibly synthesizing organics, which makes this environment potentially habitable, as previously suggested in [1,3-4] (Fig. 1). Late-stage aqueous perchlorate and sulfate in Jezero crater: An abrasion target within the CF-Fr unit contains combinations of high intensity 950-955 cm−1 peaks and minor 1090-1095 cm−1 and 1150-1155 cm−1 peaks that are spectral fits to anhydrous perchlorate (Fig. 1). Some spectra show a combination of 950-955 cm−1 peaks with equally strong 1010-1020 cm−1 peaks, low intensity broad features at 1120 cm−1, and occasional broad 3450 cm−1 hydration (-OH) features, indicating a mixture of Ca-sulfate and perchlorate that is minimally hydrated (Fig. 1). The detections of per-chlorates within Jezero crater differ from previous measurements (e.g. Phoenix lander, Curiosity rover, Tissint meteorite [7,11]) because they are observed to be intimately related to aqueous processes including sulfate formation, they present as a secondary white void-fill occurring within the interior of the rock, and they are found to likely be Na-perchlorate. implications for their formation: Three different types of organics embedded within three different lithologies were observed within the abraded targets. Organics associated with low intensity ~340 nm fluorescence were widespread within targets with no apparent association to particular minerals (Fig. 1). Organics associated with ~305 nm and ~275 nm fluorescence correlated with sulfates within the Bellegarde target in the CF-Fr unit, while organics associated with high intensity ~340 nm fluorescence correlated with carbonate, phosphate, and amorphous silicate mixtures within the Garde target in the Séítah region (Fig. 1). Although assignment of fluorescence signatures to specific organic compounds is not conclusive, ~340 nm fluorescence is generally more consistent with 2-ring aromatic organics, ~275 nm fluorescence is more consistent with 1-ring aromatic organics, and ~305 nm fluorescence can be created by either 2- or 1-ring aromatics [12]. These observations indicate that the strongest fluorescence signatures interpreted as organics were found in materials associated with aqueous processes, i.e. sulfate- and carbonate-bearing materials, suggesting both brines and ultramafic carbonation aqueous environments were capable of preserving organics on ancient Mars. In Martian meteorites, simple aromatic organics proposed to have been synthesized through aqueous processes can be found within minerals associated with olivine carbonation and in spatial association with perchlorate and sulfate materials [7-8], similar to SHERLOC observations. Hence, we advance an abiotic aqueous synthesis origin for the organics although we cannot rule out the presence of organics from meteoritic in-fall or putative organic biosignatures. Detailed analyses will be required upon return of these materials to Earth.

E L Scheller↗

Relative dating of Hawaiian lava flows using multispectral thermal infrared images - A new tool for geologic mapping of young volcanic terranes

The weathering of Hawaiian basalts in arid and semiarid environments is accompanied by changes in their thermal infrared emittance spectra. The spectral differences can be measured and mapped with multispectral imaging systems. The differences appear to be related to the degree of development, preservation, and alteration of glassy crusts; the oxidation of iron; and the accretion of silica-rich surface veneers. Because the measurements are quantitative and in image format, they are useful for estimating relative ages in geologic mapping of lava flows. In Hawaii this technique is most diagnostic for distinguishing among sparsely vegetated flows less than 1.5 ka in age.

Kahle, Anne B.↗

Bulk magnetization properties of the Fra Mauro and Reiner Gamma Formations

In the reported investigation, bulk magnetization properties within two lunar surface geologic units have been inferred using low-altitude, high-resolution Apollo 16 subsatellite magnetometer data. On the basis of correlations of mapped anomalies with relatively surficial units on the central near side, a surface plate model with thickness much less than the subsatellite altitude was adopted and was used to represent the sources of largest anomalies. The results strongly suggest that directional coherence of the surface density of magnetization can occur over horizontal scales up to 100 km. Tentative evidence for a lack of directional coherence on scales greater than 100 km was found in the case of the Fra Mauro Formation.

Hood, L. L.↗

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Geologic map analyses: Correlation of geologic and cratering histories

Geologic map analyses are expanded, beginning with a discussion of particular regions which may illustrate volcanic and ballistic plains emplacement on Mercury. Major attention is focused on the surface history of Mercury through discussion of the areal distribution of plains and craters and the paleogeologic maps of the first quadrant. A summary of the lunar intercrater plains formation similarly interrelates the information from the Moon's geologic and cratering histories.

Leake, M. A.↗

Constraints on the Martian cratering rate imposed by the SNC meteorites and Vallis Marineris layered deposits

Following two independent lines of evidence -- estimates of the age and formation time of a portion of the Martian geologic column exposed in the layered deposits and the crystallization and ejection ages of the SNC meteorites -- it appears that the Martian cratering rate must be double the lunar rate or even higher. This means models such as NHII or NHIII (Neukum and Hiller models II and III), which estimate the Martian cratering rate as being several times lunar are probably far closer to reality on Mars than lunar rates. The effect of such a shift is profound: Mars is transformed from a rather Moon-like place into a planet with vigorous dynamics, multiple large impacts, erosion, floods, and volcanism throughout its history. A strong shift upward in cratering rates on Mars apparently solves some glaring problems; however, it creates others. The period of time during which Earth-like atmospheric conditions existed, the liquid water era on Mars, persists in NHIII up to only 0.5 b.y. ago. Scenarios of extended Earth-like conditions on Mars have been discounted in the past because they would have removed many of the craters from the early bombardment era found in the south. It does appear that some process of crater removal was quite vigorous in the north during Mars' past. Evidence exists that the northern plains may have been the home of long-lived seas or perhaps even a paleo-ocean, so models exist for highly localized destruction of craters in the north. However, the question of how the ancient crater population could be preserved in the south under a long liquid-water era found in any high-cratering-rate models is a serious question that must be addressed. It does appear to be a higher-order problem because it involves low-energy dynamics acting in localized areas, i.e., erosion of craters in the south of Mars, whereas the two problems with the low-cratering-rate models involve high-energy events acting over large areas: the formation of the Vallis Marineris, the SNC ejecting impacts, and the global atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions that allow liquid water to exist as a robust entity anywhere on the Martian surface. In any case, it appears Mars is a more complex and dynamic planet than previously supposed. It has canyons dating from the middle to late period of its history that contain apparent lake sediments bedded deeper than most sediments on Earth. Recent multiple, violent impacts on Mars have apparently provided us with multiple random samples of its surface that all crystallized less than 1.5 b.y. ago. These things cannot be accommodated in our present cratering chronologies of Mars, based on 1x lunar cratering rates, without great difficulties. These difficulties suggest that a new chronology, probably based on NHII or even NHIII, should be adopted; this new chronology will provide us with a new view of Mars as a dynamic planet of rich history.

Brandenburg, J. E.↗

Computer Program Helps Enhance Images

Pixel Pusher is Macintosh application program for viewing and performing minor enhancements on imagery. Works with color images digitized to 8 bits. Reads image files in JPL's two primary image formats VICAR and PDS as well as in Macintosh PICT format. VICAR (NPO-18076) handles array of image-processing capabilities used for variety of applications, including processing of biomedical images, cartography, imaging of Earth resources, and geological exploration. Pixel Pusher also imports color lookup tables in VICAR format for viewing images in pseudocolor (256 colors). Written in Symantec's Think C.

Stanfill, Daniel F., IV↗

The Project “Analogs for Venus’ Geologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS): A Comprehensive Database of Terrestrial Active Volcanoes for the Analysis of Ongoing Volcanism on Venus

The recently selected missions to Venus have opened a new era for the exploration of the Earth’s twin planet. As the Venus decade approaches, it is crucial to set the science goals for the future orbiting and in-situ investigations. One of the key science targets on Venus is certainly represented by the young topographic rises, which can be defined as the surface expression of underlying mantle plumes. These areas can be considered as the geologically youngest regions of Venus, being characterized by recent volcanic and tectonic activity. Studying areas of active volcanism and tectonism on Venus is crucial because it can reveal clues on the geologic past of the planet, as well as provide information about the volatile content of its interior and about the formation of its dense atmosphere. To this regard, the Project “Analogs for VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) aims to build a database of Terrestrial analog sites for the analysis and identification of recent and possibly ongoing volcanic as well as tectonic activity on Venus to be investigated by the future missions. The Project AVENGERS will be a powerful tool for allowing a more efficient exploitation of the wealth of data to be provided by the future investigations of Venus during the upcoming decade.

P D Incecco↗

Formation of the layered deposits in the Valles Marineris, Mars

Thick sequences of layered deposits are found in the Valles Marineris, which exhibit fine, nearly horizontal layering, and are present as isolated plateaus of what were once more extensive deposits. It was argued that the morphology of the deposits is most consistent with origin in standing bodies of water. The conditions necessary for the existence of ice-covered Martian paleolakes are examined in detail and mechanisms for sediment deposition in them are considered. It was concluded that there are several geologically feasible mechanisms that could have led to the formation of thick deposits in ice-covered paleolakes in the Valles Marineris. Present data are insufficient to choose conclusively among the various possibilities. Several types of data from the Mars Observer mission will be useful in further characterizing the deposits and clarifying the process of their origin. The deposits should be considered important targets for a future Mars sample return mission.

Nedell, Susan S.↗

Geology of Libya Montes and the Interbasin Plains of Northern Tyrrhena Terra, Mars: Project Introduction and First Year Work Plan

The highland-lowland boundary (HLB) of Mars is interpreted to be a complex tectonic and erosional transition that may hold evidence for past geologic processes and environments. The HLB-abutting margin of the Libya Montes and the interbasin plains of northern Tyrrhena Terra display an exceptional view of the earliest to middle history of Mars that has yet to be fully characterized. This region contains some of the oldest exposed materials on the Martian surface as well as aqueous mineral signatures that may be potential chemical artifacts of early highland formational processes. However, a full understanding of the regions geologic and stratigraphic evolution is remarkably lacking. Some outstanding questions regarding the geologic evolution of Libya Montes and northern Tyrrhena Terra in-clude: Does combining geomorphology and composition advance our understanding of the region s evolution? Can highland materials be subdivided into stratigraphically discrete rock and sediment sequences? What do major physiographic transitions imply about the balanced tectonism, climate change, and erosion? Where is the erosional origin and what is the post-depositional history of channel and plains units? When and in what types of environments did aqueous mineral signatures arise? This abstract introduces the geologic setting, science rationale, and first year work plan of a recently-funded 4-year geologic mapping proposal (project year = calendar year). The objective is to delineate the geologic evolution of Libya Montes and northern Tyrrhena Terra at 1:1M scale using both classical geomorphological and compositional mapping techniques. The funded quadrangles are MTMs 00282, -05282, -10282, 00277, -05277, and -10277.

Skiner, J. A., Jr.↗

A geological investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley

The geological characteristics of the Taurus-Littrow region in the mountainous southeastern ring of the great plain of the Mare Serenitatis are presented. The major geologically defined units within the valley and the mountains surrounding it were examined during the Apollo 17 mission. The data obtained during the geological analysis are presented. Photographs of the significant formations are included. The specific nature of the rock formations and the stratigraphy of the area are discussed.

Schmitt, H. H.↗

Coastal wetlands: The present and future role of remote sensing

During the past decade, there has been a rapid expansion of remote sensing research and technology development related to coastal wetlands. As a result of this research, all of the 23 coastal states have ongoing or completed wetland inventories, most utilizing aerial photographs as the data source for producing a variety of map products with varying scales, formats, classification systems and intended uses. The U.S. Geological Survey is increasing emphasis on map production and revision for the coastal zone. The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory is intended to provide a standardized method for comparison of wetlands on a national basis - it too will use available aerial photographs as a basic data source. At present, satellite data is not used for operational mapping of coastal wetlands because of resolution and geometric constraints. In the future, however, satellite data may provide an accurate reliable and economical source to update wetland inventories and to monitor or evaluate coastal wetlands. The technological improvements accompanying the development and launch of Landsat C and D and the space shuttle promise to make satellite digital data a more powerful tool to supply information for future management decisions for coastal wetlands.

Carter, V.↗