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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

The role of thermal vapor diffusion in the subsurface hydrologic evolution of Mars

The hydrologic response of groundwater to the thermal evolution of the early martian crust is considered. When a temperature gradient is present in a moist porous medium, it gives rise to a vapor-pressure gradient that drives the diffusion of water vapor from regions of high to low temperature. By this process, a geothermal gradient as small as 15 K/km could drive the vertical transport of 1 km of water to the freezing front at the base of the martian crysophere every 10 exp 6-10 exp 7 years, or the equivalent of about 100-1000 km of water over the course of martian geologic history. Models of the thermal history of Mars suggest that this thermally-driven vapor flux may have been as much as 3-5 times greater in the past. The magnitude of this transport suggests that the process of geothermally-induced vapor diffusion may have played a critical role in the initial emplacement of ground ice and the subsequent geomorphic and geochemical evolution of the martian crust.

Clifford, Stephen M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Sulfur Chemistry in the Early and Present Atmosphere of Mars

Atmospheric sulfur species resulting from volcanic emissions impact the composition and chemistry of the atmosphere, impact the climate, and hence, the habitability of Mars and impact the mineralogy and composition of the surface of Mars. The geochemical/ photochemical cycling of sulfur species between the interior (via volcanism), the atmosphere (atmospheric photochemical and chemical processes) and the deposition of sulfuric acid on the surface of Mars is an important, but as yet poorly understood geochemical/ photochemical cycle on Mars. There is no observational evidence to indicate that Mars is volcanically active at the present time, however, there is strong evidence that volcanism was an important and widespread process on early Mars. The chemistry and photochemistry of sulfur species in the early and present atmosphere of Mars will be assessed using a one-dimensional photochemical model. Since it is generally assumed that the atmosphere of early Mars was significantly denser than the present 6-millibar atmosphere, photochemical calculations were performed for the present atmosphere and for the atmosphere of early Mars with assumed surface pressures of 60 and 350-millibars, where higher surface pressure resulted from enhanced atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). The following sections include the results of earlier modeling studies, a summary of the one-dimensional photochemical model used in this study, a summary of the photochemistry and chemistry of sulfur species in the atmosphere of Mars and some of the results of the calculations.

Levine, Joel S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Wet inside and out? Constraints on water in the Martian mantle and on outgassed water, based on melt inclusions in SNC meteorites

Constraints on the volatile inventory and outgassing history of Mars are critical to understanding the origin of ancient valley systems and paleoclimates. Planetary accretion models for Mars allow either a volatile-rich or volatile-poor mantle, depending on whether the accreted materials were fully oxidized or whether accretion was homogeneous so that water was lost through reaction with metallic iron. The amount of water that has been outgassed from the interior is likewise a contentious subject, and estimates of globally distributed water based on various geochemical and geological measurements vary from a few meters to more than a thousand meters. New data on SNC meteorites, which are thought to be Martian igneous rocks, provide constraints on both mantle and outgassed water.

Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Magmatic volatiles and the weathering of Mars

The sources for volatiles on Mars have been the subject of many hypotheses for exogenous influences including late accretion of volatile-enriched material, impact devolatilization to create massive early atmospheres, and even major bombardment by comets. However, the inventory of chemically active volatiles observable at the contemporary surface of Mars is consistent with domination by endogenous, subsequent planetary processes, viz., persistent magmatic outgassing. Volcanism on Mars has been widespread in both space and time. Notwithstanding important specific differences between the mantles of Earth and Mars, the geochemical similarities are such that the suite of gases emitted from Martian volcanic activity should include H2O, CO2, S-containing gases (e.g. H2S and/or SO2), and Cl-containing gases (e.g., Cl2 and/or HCl). H2O and CO2 exist in the atmosphere of Mars. Both are also present as surface condensates. However, spectroscopic observations of the Martian atmosphere clearly show that the S- and Cl-containing gases are severely depleted, with upper limits of less than or equal to 10(exp -7) the abundance of CO2. Likewise, there is no evidence of polar condensates of compounds of these elements as there is for CO2 and H2O. Within the soil, on the other hand, there has been direct measurement of incorporated H2O and abundant compounds containing S and Cl. Barring some as yet implausible geochemical sequestering process, the S/Cl ratio of about 6:1 in Martian soils implies a limit of 5% on the contribution of matter of solarlike composition (e.g., carbonaceous chondrite or cometary material) to these volatiles. Hence, exogenous sources are minor or not yet observed. From analysis of elemental trends in Martian soils, it has been recently shown that a simple two-component model can satisfy the Viking in situ measurements. Component A includes Si and most or all the Al, Ca, Ti, and Fe. Component B, taken as 16 +/- 3% by weight of the total, contains S and most or all the Cl and Mg. These results constrain several models of Martian soil mineralogy but are consistent with a mixture of silicates (such as Fe-rich clays and accessory minerals and soluble salts). The overall element profile is notably like shergottites, with significant incorporation of chemically reactive atmospheric gases from magmatic degassing.

Clark, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The isotopic and chemical evolution of planets: Mars as a missing link

The study of planetary bodies has advanced to a stage where it is possible to contemplate general models for the chemical and physical evolution of planetary interiors, which might be referred to as UMPES (Unified Models of Planetary Evolution and Structure). UMPES would be able to predict the internal evolution and structure of a planet given certain input parameters such as mass, distance from the sun, and a time scale for accretion. Such models are highly dependent on natural observations because the basic material properties of planetary interiors, and the processes that take place during the evolution of planets are imperfectly understood. The idea of UMPES was particularly unrealistic when the only information available was from the earth. However, advances have been made in the understanding of the general aspects of planetary evolution now that there is geochemical and petrological data available for the moon and for meteorites.

Depaolo, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Geochemical Mapping of 4 Vesta Begins

By December, the NASA Dawn spacecraft will have descended to a low altitude mapping orbit (LAMO), where the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) will acquire global mapping data for up to four months. Measurements by GRaND will help answer elusive questions about how Vesta differentiated and the nature of processes that shaped Vesta s surface. The data will be analyzed to determine the abundances of Mg, Si, Fe, K, Th, and H at a spatial resolution of roughly 300 km full-width-at-half-maximum from a 465 km radius orbit. Thermal and fast neutron counting data will be analyzed to determine the neutron macroscopic absorption cross section and average atomic mass, providing constraints on additional elements, such as Ca and Al. GRaND will quantify the elemental composition of coarse spatial units identified by Dawn s Framing Camera (FC) and the Visible & Infrared Spectrometer (VIR). In addition, GRaND will map the mixing ratio of compositional end members selected from the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites, determine the relative proportions of plagioclase and mafic minerals, and search for compositions that are absent or under-represented in the meteorite collection. While it is generally thought that Vesta s crust on a regional scale should be well-represented by linear mixing of HED whole-rock compositions, there are hints that Vesta may be more diverse than implied by this model. For example, the discovery of K-rich impact glasses in howardites suggests that K-rich rocks may be present on a portion of Vesta s surface, and the analysis of diogenites indicates considerable variability in the magmatic processes that formed them. The chemical composition of materials within Vesta s south polar structure may provide further clues to how it formed. An impact might have exposed mantle and lower crustal materials, which should have a distinctive compositional signature. We present the analysis of data acquired by GRaND from cruise through the descent to LAMO, including GRaND s sensitivity to different elements and geochemical processes.

Prettyman, Thomas H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Volcanological constraints of Archaean tectonics

Volcanological and trace element geochemical data can be integrated to place some constraints upon the size, character and evolutionary history of Archean volcanic plumbing, and hence indirectly, Archean tectonics. The earliest volcanism in any greenhouse belt is almost universally tholeitic basalt. Archean mafic magma chambers were usually the site of low pressure fractionation of olivine, plagioclase and later Cpx + or - an oxide phase during evolution of tholeitic liquids. Several models suggest basalt becoming more contaminated by sial with time. Data in the Uchi Subprovince shows early felsic volcanics to have fractionated REE patterns followed by flat REE pattern rhyolites. This is interpreted as initial felsic liquids produced by melting of a garnetiferous mafic source followed by large scale melting of LIL-rich sial. Rare andesites in the Uchi Subprovince are produced by basalt fractionation, direct mantle melts and mixing of basaltic and tonalitic liquids. Composite dikes in the Abitibi Subprovince have a basaltic edge with a chill margin, a rhyolitic interior with no basalt-rhyolite chill margin and partially melted sialic inclusions. Ignimbrites in the Uchi and Abitibi Subprovinces have mafic pumice toward the top. Integration of these data suggest initial mantle-derived basaltic liquids pond in a sialic crust, fractionate and melt sial. The inirial melts low in heavy REE are melts of mafic material, subsequently melting of adjacent sial produces a chamber with a felsic upper part underlain by mafic magma.

Thurston, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evidence for variations in magma production along oceanic spreading centers - A critical appraisal

Recent geologic, geophysical, and geochemical studies of the oceanic lithosphere near fracture zones have resulted in the proposal that the 'magma budget,' defined as the amount of magma delivered to magma chambers or conduits beneath a spreading center for a given amount of spreading, decreases as fracture zones are approached. Seismic reflection and refraction studies indicate that the crust becomes anomalously thin near fracture zones, but reference must be made to the boundary between residual upper mantle peridotites and overlying cumulate rocks in order to assess potential variations in the magma budget. The position of this interface, however, generally is not constrained by geophysical studies. Geochemical variations in basaltic glasses collected near fracture zones are consistent with a decrease in partial melting as fracture zones are approached, but they could also be produced by variations in open-system magmatic processes with no change in the extent of partial melting. Although a decrease in the magma budget as fracture zones are approached is consistent with these data, so are alternative models that incorporate a constant magma budget.

Karson, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evidence for variations in magma production along oceanic spreading centers - A critical appraisal

Recent studies of the oceanic lithosphere near fracture zones have resulted in the proposal that the 'magma budget', defined as the amount of magma delivered to magma chambers or conduits beneath a spreading center for a given amount of spreading, decreases as fracture zones are approached. Geochemical variations in basaltic glasses collected near fracture zones are consistent with a decrease in partial melting as fracture zones are approached, but they could also be produced by variations in open-system magmatic processes with no change in the extent of partial melting. Although a decrease in the magma budget as fracture zones are approached is consistent with these data, so are alternative models that incorporate a constant magma budget.

Karson, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

How life affects the geochemical cycle of carbon

Developing a quantitative understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon as they have worked throughout Earth history on various time scales, how they have been affected by biological evolution, and how changes in the carbon content of ocean and atmosphere may have affected climate and the evolution of life are the goals of the research. Theoretical simulations were developed that can be tuned to reproduce such data as exist and, once tuned, can be used to predict properties that have not yet been observed. This is an ongoing process, in which models and results are refined as new data and interpretations become available and as understanding of the global system improves. Results of the research are described in several papers which were published or submitted for publication. These papers are summarized. Future research plans are presented.

Walker, James C. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Compositional inhomogeneities in a single Icelandic tholeiite flow

New trace element analyses of 25 basalt samples from a vertical traverse in an 11 m thick flow of Icelandic tholeiite show compositional differences which exceed analytical uncertainties and are random with respect to height. These variations suggest a short-range segregation model in which the amounts of phenocrysts, groundmass materials, and residual liquid vary randomly in different samples of the flow; a least-squares method is applied to determine if these variations reflect different proportions of crystallizing phases and residual liquid. Monte Carlo computations indicate that short-range segregation results in inhomogeneity of a magnitude of interflow compositional differences; this causes incoherence in elements with different geochemical behaviors while preserving coherence in elements of similar behavior.

Lindstrom, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The Sr and Nd isotopic record of Apollo 12 basalts - Implications for lunar geochemical evolution

Alkali, alkaline earth, and rare earth element data are reported for several Apollo 12 basalts which are representative of the four Apollo 12 magma types. Results confirm the heterogeneity of the lunar mantle and show that the Sm/Nd ratio of at least the Apollo 12 ilmenite basalts was decreased by 13-24% during magma genesis. In addition, whole mare basalt Sm-Nd data are not collinear on an isochron diagram; thus it is no longer possible to explain these data via mixing of 'primitive material' and 'early differentiates' as in the hybridization and assimilation models.

Nyquist, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

What would we miss if we characterized the Moon and Mars with just planetary meteorites, remote mapping, and robotic landers?

Exploration of the Moon and planets began with telescopic studies of their surfaces, continued with orbiting spacecraft and robotic landers, and will culminate with manned exploration and sample return. For the Moon and Mars we also have accidental samples provided by impacts on their surfaces, the lunar and martian meteorites. How much would we know about the lunar surface if we only had lunar meteorites, orbital spacecraft, and robotic exploration, and not the Apollo and Luna returned samples? What does this imply for Mars? With martian meteorites and data from Mariner, Viking, and the future Pathfinder missions, how much could we learn about Mars? The basis of most of our detailed knowledge about the Moon is the Apollo samples. They provide ground truth for the remote mapping, timescales for lunar processes, and samples from the lunar interior. The Moon is the foundation of planetary science and the basis for our interpretation of the other planets. Mars is similar to the Moon in that impact and volcanism are the dominant processes, but Mars' surface has also been affected by wind and water, and hence has much more complex surface geology. Future geochemical or mineralogical mapping of Mars' surface should be able to tell us whether the dominant rock types of the ancient southern highlands are basaltic, anorthositic, granitic, or something else, but will not be able to tell us the detailed mineralogy, geochemistry, or age. Without many more martian meteorites or returned samples we will not know the diversity of martian rocks, and therefore will be limited in our ability to model martian geological evolution.

Lindstrom, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Cold and Cryogenic Curation of Lunar Volatile Samples Returned to Earth

The study of volatile compounds and volatile elements, such as H, He, C, N, O, H2O, CH4, SO2, CO, CO2, NH3, HCN, etc., are commonly used for constraining evolutionary processes on planets, satellites, and asteroids, as well as formulating models of solar system formation. For Lunar science, the recent evidence of regolith and rocks containing small amounts of OH- and/or H2O has renewed scientific interest into the study of lunar volatiles [1, 2]. Future lunar sample return missions will include the study of volatiles as a high priority. Comet particles from the Stardust mission, asteroid particles from Hayabusa, meteorites, and subsurface lunar samples all occupied subfreezing environments prior to collection. Valuable geochemical information on volatiles is often lost when these samples are allowed to reach ambient temperatures on Earth. The ability to store, document, subdivide, and transport extraterrestrial geologic samples while maintaining below freezing or cryogenic temperatures is required for the complete scientific study of such samples, as well as future samples from a wide range of solar system bodies.

Calaway, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Petrologic and In Situ Geochemical Constraints on Diogenite Genesis

Diogenites, members of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) clan, are orthopyroxenite, harzburgite and dunite meteorites [1-3]. Most are breccias, but remnant textures indicate they were originally coarse-grained rocks, with grain sizes of order of cm. Their petrography and compositions support an origin as crustal cumulates from a differentiated asteroid. Astronomical observations, and surface mineralogy and composition of Vesta determined by the Dawn spacecraft suggest that asteroid (4) Vesta is the parent object for HED meteorites [4-6]. The origin of diogenites is an unsettled issue. It is difficult to fit their bulk compositional characteristics into global magma ocean models that successfully describe the compositions of basaltic and cumulate eucrites [7]. Compositional analyses of acid-leached bulk samples have led to the hypothesis that many diogenites were formed late by interaction of their parent melts with a eucritic crust [8]. Those observations may alternatively be explained by subsolidus equilibration of trace elements between orthopyroxene and minor/ accessory phases in the rocks such as plagioclase and phosphate [7]. These competing hypotheses can be tested through in situ measurements of trace and minor elements in orthopyroxene. Our new petrologic observations and in situ minor and trace element data for a suite of diogenites are used to discuss the petrologic evolution of diogenites. Our preliminary data on two diogenites are consistent with the hypothesis that subsolidus element mobilization processes caused unusual trace element signatures seen in some diogenites [7]. We cannot stress strongly enough, however, that the sample set is too small and that additional data are required before definitive conclusions can be made.

Mittlefehldt, David W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Lunar mare volcanism: Mixing of distinct, mantle source regions with KREEP-like component

Mare basalts comprise less than 1% of the lunar crust, but they constitute our primary source of information on the moon's upper mantle. Compositional variations between mare basalt suites reflect variations in the mineralogical and geochemical composition of the lunar mantle which formed during early lunar differentiation (4.5-4.4 AE). Three broad suites of mare basalt are recognized: very low-Ti (VLT) basalts with TiO2 less than 1 wt%, low-Ti basalts with TiO2 = 2-4 wt%, and high-Ti basalts with TiO2 = 10-14 wt%. Important subgroups include the Apollo 12 ilmenite basalts (TiO2 = 5-6 wt%), aluminous low-Ti mare basalts (TiO2 = 2-4 wt%, Al2O3 = 10-14 wt%), and the newly discovered Very High potassium (VHK) aluminous low-Ti basalts, with K2O = 0.4-1.5 wt%. The mare basalt source region has geochemical characteristics complementary to the highlands crust and is generally thought to consist of mafic cumulates from the magma ocean which formed the felsic crust by feldspar flotation. The progressive enrichment of mare basalts in Fe/Mg, alkalis, and incompatible trace elements in the sequence VLT basalt yields low-Ti basalt yields high-Ti basalt is explained by the remelting of mafic cumulates formed at progressively shallower depths in the evolving magma ocean. This model is also consistent with the observed decrease in compatible element concentrations and the progressive increase in negative Eu anomalies.

Shervais, John W.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Identification of Anomalous Eucrites and Diogenites by Multivariable Discriminant Analysis

Howardite, eucrite and diogenite clan (HED) is the largest magmatic achondrite group and has been suggested to be derived from asteroid (4) Vesta (e.g., [1]). Previous geochemical studies have suggested HEDs were generated by asteroid melting followed by crystallization, metamorphism, and impact [1-6]. However, numerous eucrites and diogenites have anomalous compositional, isotopic or petrological characteristics compared to the norm. This diversity might indicate more complex magma processes on the parent asteroid, or they could be linked to different parental asteroids (e.g., [5]). The former case would imply that the parent asteroid is more heterogenous than currently thought, and that our petrologic models are too simple. The latter case would increase the number of asteroids known to have formed mafic crusts, and would allow for petrological comparisons across numerous bodies. We apply multivariable discrimination analysis (MDA) to a large database of HED pyroxene analyses. This technique allows all elemental information to be considered simultaneously to facilitate identification of groupings, trends, and outliers within the dataset.

Peng, Z. X.↗
NASA NTRS1987

New very high resolution radar studies of the Moon

As part of an effort to further understand the geologic utility of radar studies of the terrestrial planets, investigators at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics are collaborating with NEROC Haystack Observatory, MIT and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the analysis of existing 3.8 and 70 cm radar images of the Moon, and in the acquisition of new data for selected lunar targets. The intent is to obtain multi-polarization radar images at resolutions approaching 75 meters (3.8 cm wavelength) and 400 meters (70 cm wavelength) for the Apollo landing sites (thereby exploiting available ground truth) or regions covered by the metric camera and geochemical experiments onboard the command modules of Apollos 15, 16 and 17. These data were collected in both like- and cross-polarizations, and, in the case of the 70 cm data, permit the phase records to be used to assess the scattering properties of the surface. The distribution of surface units on the Moon that show a mismatch between the surface implied by like- and cross-polarized scattering data is being analyzed, based on the scattering models of Evans and Hagfors.

Mouginis-Mark, Peter J.↗