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NASA NTRS1995

Volatile transport on Venus and implications for surface geochemistry and geology

The high vapor pressure of volatile metal halides and chalcogenides (e.g., of Cu, Zn, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi) at typical Venus surface temperatures, coupled with the altitude-dependent temperature gradient of approximately 8.5 K/km, is calculated to transport volatile metal vapors to the highlands of Venus, where condensation and accumulation will occur. The predicted geochemistry of volatile metals on Venus is supported by observations of CuCl in volcanic gases at Kilauea and Nyiragongo, and large enrichments of these and other volatile elements in terrestrial volcanic aerosols. A one-dimensional finite difference vapor transport model shows the diffusive migration of a thickness of 0.01 to greater than 10 microns/yr of moderately to highly volatile phases (e.g., metal halides and chalcogenides) from the hot lowlands (740 K) to the cold highlands (660 K) on Venus. The diffusive transport of volatile phases on Venus may explain the observed low emissivity of the Venusian highlands, hazes at 6-km altitude observed by two Pioneer Venus entry probes, and the Pioneer Venus entry probe anomalies at 12.5 km.

Brackett, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Geology and landscape evolution of the Hellas region of Mars

Hellas basin on Mars has been the site of volcanism, tectonism, and modification by fluvial, mass-wasting, and eolian processes over its more than 4-b.y. existence. Our detailed geologic mapping and related studies have resulted in the following new interpretations. The asymmetric distribution of highland massifs and other structures that define the uplifted basin rim suggest a formation of the basin by the impact of a low-angle bolide having a trajectory heading S60E. During the Late Noachian, the basin was infilled, perhaps by lava flows, that were sufficiently thick (greater than 1 km) to produce wrinkle ridges on the fill material and extensional faulting along the west rim of the basin. At about the same time, deposits buried northern Malea Planum, which are interpreted to be pyroclastic flows from Amphitrites and Peneus Paterae on the basis of their degraded morphology, topology, and the application of a previous model for pyroclastic volcanism on Mars. Peneus forms a distinctive caldera structure that indicates eruption of massive volumes of magma, whereas Amphitrites is a less distinct circular feature surrounded by a broad, low, dissected shield that suggests generally smaller volume eruptions. During the Early Hesperian, an approximately 1-to 2km-thick sequence of primarily fined-grained, eolian material was deposited on the floor of Hellas basin. Subsequently, the deposit was deeply eroded, except where armored by crater ejecta, and it retreated as much as 200-300 km along its western margin, leaving behind pedestal craters and knobby outliers of the deposit. Local debris flows within the deposit attest to concentrations of groundwater, perhaps in part brought in by outflow floods along the east rim of the basin. These floods may have deposited approximately 100-200m of sediment, subduing wrinkle ridges in the eastern part of the basin floor. During the Late Hesperian and Amazonian, eolian mantles were emplaced on the basin rim and floor and surrounding highlands. Their subsequent erosion resulted in pitted and etched plains and crater fill, irregular mesas, and pedestal craters. Local evidence occurs for the possible former presence of ground ice or ice sheets approximately 100 km across; however, we disagree with a hypothesis that suggest that the entire south rim and much of the floor of Hellas have been glaciated. Orientations of dune fields and yardangs in lower parts of Hellas basin follow directions of the strongest winds predicted by a recently published general circulation model (GCM). Transient frost and dust splotches in the region are, by contrast, related to the GCM prediction for the season in which the images they appear in were taken.

Tanaka, Kenneth L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Geology of the small Tharsis volcanoes: Jovis Tholus, Ulysses Patera, Biblis Patera, Mars

Jovis Tholus, Ulysses Patera, and Biblis Patera, three small volcanoes in the Tharsis area of Mars, provide important insight into the evolution of volcanism on Mars. All three are interpreted to be shield volcanoes, indicating that shield volcansim was present from the outset in Tharsis. Jovis Tholus is the least complex with simple repeated outpouring of lavas and caldera-forming events. Ulysses Patera is dominated by a giant caldera within which is a line of cinder cones or domes suggesting terminal stages of volcanism in which the magma had either significant volatiles or increased viscosity. Biblis Patera is characterized by nested calderas which have expanded by block faulting of the flank; it also exhibits lava flows erupted onto the flanks from events along concentric fractures. These shields are different from the younger Tharsis Montes shields only in terms of the volume of erupted material. The limited shield volume suggests that the magma source which fed the shields was rapidly depleted. The relatively large size ofthe calderas probably results from relatively large, shallow magma bodies rather than significant burial of the flanks by younger lavas. Eruption rates consistent with typical terrestrial basaltic eruptiuon rates suggest that these volcanoes were probably built over time spans of 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 5) years. Stratigraphic ages range from Early to Upper Hesperian; absolute ages range from 1.9 to 3.4 Ga.

Plescia, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Noachian and Hesperian modification of the original Chryse impact basin topography

We prospose a new center and ring assignment for the original Chryse impact basin based upon photogeologic mapping of Noachian outcrops and re-examination of the published geology using orthographic projections. While others have centered the Chryse impact on the topographic low associated with Hesperian volcanic and fluvial deposits, we suggest that the center of the Noachian-age excavation cavity was located approximately 800 km to the north, and that the basin topography was modified significantly from the Noachian into the Hesperian. Evolution of the topographic low included structural modification by a later impact centered in Acidalia, restricted volcanic deposition and loading, localized subsidence, and restricted deposition from the circum-Chryse outlfow channels.

Stockman, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Implications of a global survey of venusian impact craters

We present a global survey of the areal distribution, size-frequency distribution, and morphometric properties of the venusian impact cratering record. We explore the resurfacing history of Venus, crater degradation, ejecta emplacement, and cratering mechanics. The number of volcanically embayed and tectonically deformed craters from 0.5 to 1.0 km above mean planetary radius is disproportionately high for an otherwise crater-deficient elevation range. More resurfacing occurred in this range, an elevation range dominated by volcanic rises, rifts, and coronae, than elsewhere on Venus. Although the majority of craters appear to be relatively undisturbed and have intact ejecta blankets, some craters appear particularly `fresh' because thay have radar-bright floors, a radar-dark halo surrounding the ejecta blanket, and a west facing parabola of low radar return; 20, 35, and 8%, respectively, of craters with diameters greater than 22.6 km have these features. Characteristics of ejecta deposits for venusian craters change substantially with size, particularly at 20 km crater diameter, which marks the transition at which the boundaries of ejecta blankets go from ragged to lobate and the slope of the ejecta distance vs diameter curve steepens. Secondary craters are a ubiquitous part of the ejecta blanket for craters over 50 km but occur infrequently as isolated rays about smaller craters. Comparison of complex craters found on Venus with those of other planets gave results that were consistent with the idea that interplanetary differences in complex crater shape are controlled by interplanetary differences in gravity and crustal strength. The interplanetary comparison indicates that Venus, the Moon, and Mercury appear to have stronger crusts than do Mars and Ganymede/Callisto.

Herrick, Robert R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Global stratigraphy of Venus: Analysis of a random sample of thirty-six test areas

The age relations between 36 impact craters with dark paraboloids and other geologic units and structures at these localities have been studied through photogeologic analysis of Magellan SAR images of the surface of Venus. Geologic settings in all 36 sites, about 1000 x 1000 km each, could be characterized using only 10 different terrain units and six types of structures. Mapping of such units and structures in 36 randomly distributed large regions shows evidence for a distinctive regional and global stratigraphic and geologic sequence. On the basis of this sequence we have developed a model that illustrates several major themes in the history of Venus. Most of the history of Venus (that of its first 80% or so) is not preserved in the surface geomorphological record. The major deformation associated with tessera formation in the period sometime between 0.5-1.0 b.y. ago (Ivanov and Basilevsky, 1993) is the earliest event detected. Our stratigraphic analyses suggest that following tessera formation, extensive volcanic flooding resurfaced at least 85% of the planet in the form of the presently-ridged and fractured plains. Several lines of evidence favor a high flux in the post-tessera period but we have no independent evidence for the absolute duration of ridged plains emplacement. During this time, the net state of stress in the lithosphere apparently changed from extensional to compressional, first in the form of extensive ridge belt development, followed by the formation of extensive wrinkle ridges on the flow units. Subsequently, there occurred local emplacement of smooth and lobate plains units which are presently essentially undeformed. The major events in the latest 10% of the presently preserved history of Venus are continued rifting and some associated volcanism, and the redistribution of eolian material largely derived from impact crater deposits. Detailed geologic mapping and stratigraphic synthesis are necessary to test this sequence and to address many of the outstanding problems raised by this analysis.

Basilevsky, Alexander T.↗
NASA NTRS1995

JPL-TMF multiwavelength aerosol lidar

The JPL-TMF Lidar Facility began operation in 1985 with the completion of a XeCl excimer based stratospheric ozone DIAL system. As an adjunct to this system a Nd:YAG based tropospheric ozone and aerosol system was assembled. The tropospheric ozone system was designed to utilize the fourth harmonic (266 nm) of the Nd:YAG to produce 289 nm, 294 nm or 299 nm by SRS in the isotopic hydrogen gases. The aerosol lidar was developed using the fundamental (1064 nm) and second harmonic of the Nd:YAG (532 nm). Following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo most of the effort was put into obtaining data on the layer structure of the volcanic aerosol as a function of altitude and time on a regular basis. During this period the tropospheric ozone DIAL was not employed on a regular schedule. The stratospheric measurements were of primary interest; however with the volcanic aerosol concentrated at the 16 - 26 km altitude the ozone concentration profile was perturbed. The aerosol interference in the ozone measurements caused the lidar community to seek techniques of measurement of the aerosol which could be used in making realistic corrections to the ozone measurements. It is generally accepted that a reasonable technique of measurement would include at least one channel of Raman scattering from a blue wavelength and a minimum of three other supporting wavelengths. With the primary transmitters available at TMF, a four wavelength system was considered for configuration. The four wavelength aerosol lidar is based on the Nd:YAG fundamental, the second and third harmonics of the transmitter. The receiver will separate these three wavelengths as well as the Raman scattering from atmospheric nitrogen of the third harmonic.

Haner, David A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Assimilation by Lunar Mare Basalts: Melting of Crustal Material and Dissolution of Anorthite

We discuss techniques for calculating the amount of crustal assimilation possible in lunar magma chambers and dikes based on thermal energy balances, kinetic rates, and simple fluid mechanical constraints. Assuming parent magmas of picritic compositions, we demonstrate the limits on the capacity of such magmas to melt and dissolve wall rock of anorthitic, troctolitic, noritic, and KREEP (quartz monzodiorite) compositions. Significant melting of the plagioclase-rich crustal lithologies requires turbulent convection in the assimilating magma and an efficient method of mixing in the relatively buoyant and viscous new melt. Even when this occurs, the major element chemistry of the picritic magmas will change by less than 1-2 wt %. Diffusion coefficients measured for Al2O3 from an iron-free basalt and an orange glass composition are 10(exp -12) m(exp 2) s(exp -1) at 1340 C and 10(exp -11) m(exp 2) s(exp -1) at 1390 C. These rates are too slow to allow dissolution of plagioclase to significantly affect magma compositions. Picritic magmas can melt significant quantities of KREEP, which suggests that their trace element chemistry may still be affected by assimilation processes; however, mixing viscous melts of KREEP composition with the fluid picritic magmas could be prohibitively difficult. We conclude that only a small part of the total major element chemical variation in the mare basalt and volcanic glass collection is due to assimilation/fractional crystallization processes near the lunar surface. Instead, most of the chemical variation in the lunar basalts and volcanic glasses must result from assimilation at deeper levels or from having distinct source regions in a heterogeneous lunar mantle.

Finnila, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Assumptions About the Presence of Natural Glasses on Mars

Natural glasses occur not only on Earth but also in lunar rocks and in some meteorites. On geological grounds, natural glasses could be expected on the surface of Mars and their presence would have important implications for the weathering and alteration of the near-surface layer. Ultramafic and mafic magmatism rich in iron and some volatiles appears to have been important on Mars as has been impact cratering, volcanism, and possibly hydrothennal alteration. Available data indicate that we can presume the past or present existence of volcanic basaltic glasses, impact glasses formed by thermal fusion of meteorite-impact targets, and diaplectic (mainly maskelynite) glasses. Conditions appear unsuitable for the formation of tektites on the Martian surface, and the production of measurable amounts of fulgurite or combustion glass seems improbable. Prospects for the remote and in situ identification of Martian glasses and their subsequent weathering products are discussed and include orbital reflectance and thermal emission spectroscopic measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy from a surface lander.

Bouska, Vladimir↗
NASA NTRS1993

Assumption About the Presence of Natural Glasses on Mars

Natural glasses occur not only on Earth but also in lunar rocks and in some meteorites. On geological grounds, natural glasses could be expected on the surface of Mars and their presence would have important implications for the weathering and alteraton of the near-surface layer. Ultramafic and mafic magmatism rich in iron and some volatiles appears to have been important on Mars as has been impact cratering, volcanism, and possibly hydrothertnal alteration, Available data indicate that we can presume the past or present existence of volcanic basaltic glasses, impact glasses formed by thermal fusion of meteorite-impact targets, and diaplectic (mainly maskelynite) glasses. Conditions appear unsuitable for the formation of tektites on the Martian surface, and the production of measurable amounts of fulgurite or combustion glass seems improbable. Prospects for the remote and in situ identificaton of Martian glasses and their subsequent weathering products are discussed and include orbital reflectance and thermal emission spectroscopic measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy from a surface lander.

Bouska, Vladimir↗
NASA NTRS1996

An Inversion of Gravity and Topography for Mantle and Crustal Structure on Mars

Analysis of the gravity and topography of Mars presently provides our primary quantitative constraints on the internal structure of Mars. We present an inversion of the long-wavelength (harmonic degree less than or equal to 10) gravity and topography of Mars for lateral variations of mantle temperature and crustal thickness. Our formulation incorporates both viscous mantle flow (which most prior studies have neglected) and isostatically compensated density anomalies in the crust and lithosphere. Our nominal model has a 150-km-thick high-viscosity surface layer over an isoviscous mantle, with a core radius of 1840 km. It predicts lateral temperature variations of up to a few hundred degrees Kelvin relative to the mean mantle temperature, with high temperature under Tharsis and to a lesser extent under Elysium and cool temperatures elsewhere. Surprisingly, the model predicts crustal thinning beneath Tharsis. If correct, this implies that thinning of the crust by mantle shear stresses dominates over thickening of the crust by volcanism. The major impact basins (Hellas, Argyre, Isidis, Chryse, and Utopia) are regions of crustal thinning, as expected. Utopia is also predicted to be a region of hot mantle, which is hard to reconcile with the surface geology. An alternative model for Utopia treats it as a mascon basin. The Utopia gravity anomaly is consistent with the presence of a 1.2 to 1.6 km thick layer of uncompensated basalt, in good agreement with geologic arguments about the amount of volcanic fill in this area. The mantle thermal structure is the dominant contributor to the observed geoid in our inversion. The mantle also dominates the topography at the longest wavelengths, but shorter wavelengths (harmonic degrees greater than or equal to 4) are dominated by the crustal structure. Because of the uncertainty about the appropriate numerical values for some of the model's input parameters, we have examined the sensitivity of the model results to the planetary structural model (core radius and core and mantle densities), the mantle's viscosity stratification, and the mean crustal thickness. The model results are insensitive to the specific thickness or viscosity contrast of the high-viscosity surface layer and to the mean crustal thickness in the range 25 to 100 km. Models with a large core radius or with an upper mantle low-viscosity zone require implausibly large lateral variations in mantle temperature.

Kiefer, Walter S.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Complex Stratigraphy of the Highland Crust in the Serenitatis Region of the Moon Inferred from Mineral Fragment Chemistry

Large impact basins are natural drill holes into the Moon, and their ejecta carries unique information about the rock types and stratigraphy of the lunar crust. We have conducted an electron microprobe study of mineral fragments in the poikilitic melt breccias collected from the Taurus Mountains at the Apollo 17 landing site. These breccias are virtually unanimously agreed to be impact melt produced in the Serenitatis impact event. They contain lithic fragments and much more abundant mineral fragments of crustal origin. We have made precise microprobe analyses of minor element abundances in fragments of olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase to provide new information on the possible source rocks and the crustal stratigraphy in the Serenitatis region. These data were also intended to elucidate the nature of the cryptic geochemical component in breccias such as these with low-K Fra Mauro basalt compositions. We chose the finest-grained (i.e., most rapidly quenched) breccias for study, to avoid reacted and partly assimilated fragments as much as possible. Most of the mineral fragments appear to have been derived from rocks that would fall into the pristine igneous Mg-suite as represented by lithic fragments in the Apollo collection, or reasonable extensions of it. Gabbroic rocks were more abundant in the target stratigraphy than is apparent from the Apollo sample collection. Some pyroxene and plagiociase, but probably not much olivine, could be derived from feldspathic granulites, which are metamorphosed polymict breccias. Some mineral fragments are from previously unknown rocks. These include highly magnesian olivines (up to Fo(sub 94)), possibly volcanic in origin, that exacerbate the difficulty in explaining highly magnesian rocks in the lunar crust. It appears that some part of the lunar interior has an mg*(= 100 x Mg/(Mg/Fe) atomic) greater than the conventional bulk Moon value of 80-84. Other volcanic rocks, including mare basalts, and rapidly- cooled impact melt rocks do not contribute significantly to the fragment population. Nor do ferroan anorthosites contribute more than a tiny part of even the plagiociase fragment population. A few mineral fragments that are consistent with the cryptic low-K Fra Mauro chemical component were found, and these appear to be from gabbroic sources. The mineral fragment populations cannot be mixed in their observed proportions to produce the whole rock composition, because the fragments are more refractory and deficient in Ti, P, and alkalis. A preferential contribution to the melt from a rock similar to sodic ferrogabbro can partly resolve the discrepancy. The population of mineral fragments requires a very diverse population of igenous rocks that are not all related to each other, demonstrating the existence of a complex crust built of numerous separate igneous plutons. Many of these plutons may have crystallized at shallow depths. The chemical composition of the melt breccias, in combination with the mineral fragment data and an understanding of the cratering process, suggests that the deepest crust sampled by the Serenitatis impace (not necessarily the deepest crust) was basaltic in composition, including KREEP and gabbroic rocks like sodic ferrogabbro, and lacking abundant olivine-rich material. These were overlain by Mg-suite rocks of varied types, including norites and troctolites that supplied most of the olivine mineral fragments. Granulities, which are metamorphosed and more feldspathic breccias, were abundant near the surface. Remote sensing indicates that the entire Serenitatis region lacks ferroan anorthosite, consistent with the results of our study.

Ryder, Graham↗
NASA NTRS1997

Studies of Magmatic Inclusions in the Basaltic Martian Meteorites Shergotty, Zagami, EETA 79001 and QUE 94201

Currently there are 12 meteorites thought by planetary scientists to be martian samples, delivered to the Earth after violent impacts on that planet's surface. Of these 12 specimens, 4 are basaltic: Shergotty, Zagami, EETA 79001 and QUE 94201. Basalts are particularly important rocks to planetary geologists- they are the most common rocks found on the surfaces of the terrestrial planets, representing volcanic activity of their parent worlds. In addition, because they are generated by partial melting of the mantle and/or lower crust, they can serve as guide posts to the composition and internal processes of a planet. Consequently these four meteorites can serve as 'ground-truth' representatives of the predominant volcanic surface rocks of Mars, and offer researchers a glimpse of the magmatic history of that planet. Unfortunately, unraveling the parentage of a basaltic rock is not always straightforward. While many basalts are simple, unaltered partial melts of the mantle, others have undergone secondary processes which change the original parental chemistry, such as assimilation of other crustal rocks, mixing with other magmas, accumulation, re-equilibration between mineral species after crystallization, loss of late-stage magmatic fluids and alteration by metamorphic or metasomatic processes. Fortunately, magmatic inclusions can trap the evolving magmatic liquid, isolating it from many of these secondary processes and offering a direct look at the magma during different stages of development. These inclusions form when major or minor phases grow skeletally, surrounding small amounts of the parental magma within pockets in the growing crystal. The inclusion as a whole (usually consisting of glass with enclosed crystals) continues to represent the composition of the parental magma at the time the melt pocket closed, even when the rock as a whole evolves under changing conditions. The four basaltic martian meteorites contain several distinct generations of melt inclusions; those found within early-forming pigeonite, intermediate and late-forming Ti, Fe-oxides and sulfides, and intermediate to late-forming phosphates. In this summer' s study we have made a detailed study of all of the various forms of inclusions found within the 4 basaltic martian meteorites listed above. Glasses and minerals within the inclusions were analyzed using the Camera SX-100 Electron Microprobe in Building 31. The mineralogy and textural context of the inclusions will then be used to explore the crystallization history of these specimens, and to investigate any differences in crystallization history or parental magma compositions between these rocks. In this manner, the magmatic inclusions provide a road map backwards toward the 'parental' compositions for the basaltic martian meteorites and provide significant insight into the igneous processes found within the crust of Mars.

Harvey, Ralph P.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Glass Spherule of Questionable Impact Origin from the Apollo 15 Landing Site: Unique Target Mare Basalt

A 6 mm-diameter dark spherule, 15434,28, from the regolith on the Apennine Front at the Apollo 15 landing site has a homogeneous glass interior with a 200 microns-thick rind of devitrified or crystallized melt. The rind contains abundant small fragments of Apollo 15 olivine-normative mare basalt and rare volcanic Apollo 15 green glass. The glass interior of the spherule has the chemical composition, including a high FeO content and high CaO/Al2O3, of a mare basalt. Whereas the major element and Sc, Ni, and Co abundances are similar to those of low-Ti mare basalts, the incompatible elements and Sr abundances are similar to those of high-Ti mare basaits. The relative abundance patterns of the incompatible trace elements are distinct from any other lunar mare basalts or KREEP; among these distinctions are a much steeper slope of the heavy rare earth elements. The 15434,28 glass has abundances of the volatile element Zn consistent with both impact glasses and crystalline mare basalts, but much lower than in glasses of mare volcanic origin. The glass contains siderophile elements such as Ir in abundances only slightly higher than accepted lunar indigenous levels, and some, such as Au, are just below such upper limits. The age of the glass, determined by the Ar-40/Ar-39 laser incremental heating technique, is 1647 +/- 11 Ma (2 sigma); it is expressed as an age spectrum of seventeen steps over 96% of the Ar-38 released, unusual for an impact glass. Trapped argon is negligible. The undamaged nature of the sphere demonstrates that it must have spent most of its life buried in regolith; Ar-38 cosmic ray exposure data suggest that it was buried at less than 2m but more than a few centimeters if a single depth is appropriate. That the spherule solidified to a glass is surprising; for such a mare composition, cooling at about 50 C/s is required to avoid crystallization, and barely attainable in such a large spherule. The low volatile abundances, slightly high siderophile abundances, and the young age are perhaps all most consistent with an impact origin, but nonetheless not absolutely definitive.

Ryder, Graham↗
NASA NTRS1995

Comment on 'The Global Resurfacing of Venus' by R. G. Strom, G.G. Schaber, and D.D. Dawson

The distribution of impact craters on Venus has been the subject of a great deal of analysis since the return of Magellan data. Phillips el al. (1992) performed Monte Carlo two-dimensional (2-D) modeling of the areal distribution of craters, and the results of that exercise allowed a restricted, but still quite large, range of possible planetary resurfacing histories, including the possibility that the crater, were emplaced on a geologically inactive planet. However, the nonrandom distribution of embayed and deformed craters (Phillips el al., 1992), the hypsometric distribution of craters (Herrick and Phillips, 1994), the varied degradation states of craters (Izenberg et al., 1994), their nonrandom distribution with different geologic terrain types (Namiki and Solomon, 1994; Price et al, 1994), and three-dimensional resurfacing modeling (Bullock el al., 1993) all seem to argue against that particular possibility. In contrast, Strom el al. (1994) have collected a refined and more comprehensive data set of impact features, and they input these data into more sophisticated 2-D Monte Carlo modeling and statistical analyses of the areal distribution of craters, the hypsometric distribution of craters, and the number of embayed craters. They concluded that 'Venus experienced a global resurfacing event about 300 m.y. ago followed by a dramatic reduction of volcanism and tectonism. This global resurfacing event ended abruptly (less than 10 m.y.). The present crater population has accumulated since then and remains largely intact . . . only about 4%-6% of the planet has been volcanically resurfaced since the global event . . .' If these conclusions are well-founded, this work certainly represents a significant advancement in restricting tile number of plausible resurfacing histories for the planet. If Strom et al. (1994) are correct, it would also mean that all of the other aforementioned works are in error to various degrees, or at least represent overzealous interpretation of the data. However, we have identified apparent flaws in the observations, modeling, and interpretations presented by Strom el al. (1994) that lead us to question whether their conclusions are warranted. We limit our comments to three areas of their analysis: (1) observations pertaining to the number and area of disrupted and pristine craters and crater-related features, (2) modeling of the areal and elevation distribution of craters, and (3) interpretations of resurfacing models.

Herrick, Robert R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Airborne Brightness Temperature Measurements of the Polar Winter Troposphere as Part of the Airborne Arctic Stratosphere Experiment 2 and the Effect of Brightness Temperature Variations on the Diabatic Heating in the Lower Stratosphere

In this paper we report radiometric measurements of tropospheric brightness temperatures obtained during the AASE 2 experiment. These measurements represent the first attempt to characterize effective radiative temperatures as seen from above the troposphere during the Arctic winter. The reported measurements include brightness temperatures at 6.7 and 10.5 micrometers as seen from the NASA DC-8 aircraft flying at about 11 km altitude. We also present radiative transfer calculations to estimate the effect of tropospheric brightness temperature on the lower stratospheric heating rates. Because of the recent massive eruption of the Pinatubo volcano, we also discuss the effects of a volcanic aerosol layer. It is concluded that small particles like the volcanic aerosol or PSCs type 1 do not affect stratospheric heating rates by much; on the other hand, larger particles, PSCs types 2 and 3, may have significant effects on heating rates and consequently on dynamics of the lower stratosphere. The dynamical effects of local stratospheric temperature variations are briefly discussed.

Valero, Francisoco P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Stratospheric Heterogeneous Chemistry and Microphysics: Model Development, Validation and Applications

The objectives of this project are to: define the chemical and physical processes leading to stratospheric ozone change that involve polar stratospheric clouds (PSCS) and the reactions occurring on the surfaces of PSC particles; study the formation processes, and the physical and chemical properties of PSCS, that are relevant to atmospheric chemistry and to the interpretation of field measurements taken during polar stratosphere missions; develop quantitative models describing PSC microphysics and heterogeneous chemical processes; assimilate laboratory and field data into these models; and calculate the extent of chemical processing on PSCs and the impact of specific microphysical processes on polar composition and ozone depletion. During the course of the project, a new coupled microphysics/physical-chemistry/ photochemistry model for stratospheric sulfate aerosols and nitric acid and ice PSCs was developed and applied to analyze data collected during NASA's Arctic Airborne Stratospheric Expedition-II (AASE-II) and other missions. In this model, detailed treatments of multicomponent sulfate aerosol physical chemistry, sulfate aerosol microphysics, polar stratospheric cloud microphysics, PSC ice surface chemistry, as well as homogeneous gas-phase chemistry were included for the first time. In recent studies focusing on AASE measurements, the PSC model was used to analyze specific measurements from an aircraft deployment of an aerosol impactor, FSSP, and NO(y) detector. The calculated results are in excellent agreement with observations for particle volumes as well as NO(y) concentrations, thus confirming the importance of supercooled sulfate/nitrate droplets in PSC formation. The same model has been applied to perform a statistical study of PSC properties in the Northern Hemisphere using several hundred high-latitude air parcel trajectories obtained from Goddard. The rates of ozone depletion along trajectories with different meteorological histories are presently being systematically evaluated to identify the principal relationships between ozone loss and aerosol state. Under this project, we formulated a detailed quantitative model that predicts the multicomponent composition of sulfate aerosols under stratospheric conditions, including sulfuric, nitric, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric and hydrobromic acids. This work defined for the first time the behavior of liquid ternary-system type-1b PSCS. The model also allows the compositions and reactivities of sulfate aerosols to be calculated over the entire range of environmental conditions encountered in the stratosphere (and has been incorporated into a trajectory/microphysics model-see above). Important conclusions that derived from this work over the last few years include the following: the HNO3 content of liquid-state aerosols dominate PSCs below about 195 K; the freezing of nitric acid ice from sulfate aerosol solutions is likely to occur within a few degrees K of the water vapor frost point; the uptake and reactions of HCl in liquid aerosols is a critical component of PSC heterogeneous chemistry. In a related application of this work, the inefficiency of chlorine injection into the stratosphere during major volcanic eruptions was explained on the basis of nucleation of sulfuric acid aerosols in rising volcanic plumes leading to the formation of supercooled water droplets on these aerosols, which efficiently scavenges HCl via precipitation.

Turco, Richard P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Experimental Study of Lunar and SNC Magmas

The research described in this progress report involved the study of petrological, geochemical and volcanic processes that occur on the Moon and the SNC parent body, generally accepted to be Mars. The link between these studies is that they focus on two terrestrial-type parent bodies somewhat smaller than earth, and the fact that they focus on the role of volatiles in magmatic processes and on processes of magma evolution on these planets. The work on the lunar volcanic glasses has resulted in some exciting new discoveries over the years of this grant. We discovered small metal blebs initially in the Al5 green glass, and determined the significant importance of this metal in fixing the oxidation state of the parent magma (Fogel and Rutherford, 1995). More recently, we discovered a variety of metal blebs in the Al7 orange glass. Some of these Fe-Ni metal blebs were in the glass; others were in olivine phenocrysts. The importance of these metal spheres is that they fix the oxidation state of the parent magma during the eruption, and also indicate changes during the eruption (Weitz et al., 1997) They also yield important information about the composition of the gas phase present, the gas which drove the lunar fire-fountaining. One of the more exciting and controversial findings in our research over the past year has been the possible fractionation of H from D during shock (experimental) of hornblende bearing samples (Minitti et al., 1997). This research is directed at explaining some of the low H2O and high D/H observed in hydrous phases in the SNC meteorites.

Rutherford, Malcolm J.↗

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