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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cold Ocean Planets: Exoplanet Analogs of Our Solar System’s Icy Moons?

We have calculated total internal heating rates and depths to possible subsurface oceans for 17 planets that were previously characterized as rocky worlds but that are best described as Cold Ocean Planets. These low-mass exoplanets have equilibrium surface temperatures and/or densities that are consistent with icy surfaces and a substantial H2O content. While all planets in our study are likely to be covered in ice, estimated internal heating rates from tidal and radiogenic sources are large enough that they may harbor internal oceans and exhibit explosive cryovolcanism in the form of geyser-like plumes at their surfaces. Several of the icy moons in our solar system may thus serve as small-scale analogs of the Cold Ocean Planets in our study. We find that geological activity rates on these worlds are likely to exceed geological activity rates on Jupiter’s moon Europa and that several planets are likely to experience enhanced geological activity that exceeds that on Io. Owing to these planets’ thin ice shells, their expected high rates of internal heating, and their potential for tidally-induced explosive cryovolcanism, the identification of water vapor absorption features, especially given the expected time-variability of water vapor output during eruptions, could allow for the detection of geyser-like plumes on Trappist-1f, Proxima Cen b, and LHS 1140 b. Our study suggests that Cold Ocean Planets are habitable worlds at which the detection of explosive cryovolcanism could serve as indirect evidence of the presence of oceans beneath a layer of surface ice. Analyses of observational data from next-generation space telescopes and upcoming ground-based extremely large telescopes, and designs for future telescopic missions, should be undertaken with these results in mind.

Lynnae C Quick↗
NASA NTRS1993

A mechanism for crustal recycling on Venus

Entrainment of lower crust by convective mantle downflows is proposed as a crustal recycling mechanism on Venus. The mechanism is characterized by thin sheets of crust being pulled into the mantle by viscous flow stresses. Finite element models of crust/mantle interaction are used to explore tectonic conditions under which crustal entrainment may occur. The recycling scenarios suggested by the numerical models are analogous to previously studied problems for which analytic and experimental relationships assessing entrainment rates have been derived. We use these relationships to estimate crustal recycling rates on Venus. Estimated rates are largely determined by (1) strain rate at the crust/mantle interface (higher strain rate leads to greater entrainment); and (2) effective viscosity of the lower crust (viscosity closer to that of mantle lithosphere leads to greater entrainment). Reasonable geologic strain rates and available crustal flow laws suggest entrainment can recycle approximately equal 1 cu km of crust per year under favorable conditions.

Lenardic, A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Insights Into the Aqueous History of Mars from Acid-Sulfate Weathered Phyllosilicates

Phyllosilicates on Mars are thought to have formed during Mars' earliest Noachian geologic era (approx. 4.1-3.7 Ga). Sulfate formation, on the other hand, requires more acidic conditions which are thought to have occurred later during Mars' Hesperian era (approx. 3.7-3.0 Ga). Therefore, regions on Mars where phyllosilicates and sulfates are found in close proximity to each other provide evidence for the aqueous conditions during this global transition. Both phyllosilicates and sulfates form in the presence of water and thus give clues to the aqueous history of Mars and its potential for habitability. Phyllosilicates that formed during the Noachian era would have been weathered by the prevailing acidic conditions that define the Hesperian. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to characterize the alteration products of acid-sulfate weathered phyllosilicates in laboratory experiments, focusing on the Fe/Mg-smectites commonly identified on Mars. We also compare our results to observations of phyllosilicates and sulfates on Mars in regions such as Endeavour Crater and Mawrth Vallis to understand the formation process of sulfates and constrain the aqueous history of these regions.

Craig, P. I.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Radar-Sounding Characterization of the Subglacial Groundwater Table Beneath Hiawatha Glacier, Greenland

Radar-sounding surveys associated with the discovery of a large impact crater beneath Hiawatha Glacier, Greenland, revealed bright, flat subglacial reflections hypothesized to originate from a subglacial groundwater table. We test this hypothesis using radiometric and hydrologic analysis of those radar data. The dielectric loss between the reflection from the top of the basal layer and subglacial reflection and their reflectivity difference represent dual constraints upon the complex permittivity of the basal material. Either ice-cemented debris or fractured, well-drained bedrock explain the basal layer's radiometric properties. The subglacial reflector's geometry is parallel to isopotential hydraulic head contours, located 7.5–15.3 m below the interface, and 11 ± 7 dB brighter than the ice–basal layer reflection. We conclude that this subglacial reflection is a groundwater table and that its detection was enabled by the wide bandwidth of the radar system and unusual geologic setting, suggesting a path for future direct radar detection of subglacial groundwater elsewhere.

Johnathan T. Bessette↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mars - Evidence for dynamic processes from Mariners 6 and 7.

Detailed study of the evolution of the Martian surface on the basis of an analysis of Mariner 6 and 7 photographs of certain features of the equatorial region of Mars. It is concluded that the planet Mars is characterized by an internal dynamic activity on the scale of the interior of the African plate. Cited as evidence are scarps resembling fault scarps in Meridiani Sinus and on the Hellas-Hellespontus border. Ridges associated with craters on the boundary of Hellas and Hellespontus are most easily explained by volcanic activity, and at least some of the associated craters may themselves be of volcanic origin. Ridges on the Hellas-Hellespontus border and part of the wall of Edom seem to bulge out into cratered swellings or domes. A sequence of events is worked out for different parts of Mars, and an attempt is made to develop a crude threefold geologic time scale. The sequence suggests that dynamic activity was confined neither to the earliest nor the latest periods of Martian history.

Elston, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Mapping Hesperia Planum, Mars

Hesperia Planum, characterized by a high concentration of mare-type wrinkle ridges and ridge rings [1-4], encompasses > 2 million km2 in the southern highlands of Mars (Fig. 1). The most common interpretation is that the plains were emplaced as flood lavas with total thicknesses of <3 km [4-10]. The wrinkle ridges on its surface make Hesperia Planum the type locale for Hesperian-aged ridged plains on Mars [e.g., 9], and recent investigations reveal that wrinkle-ridge formation occurred in more than one episode [4]. Hesperia Planum s stratigraphic position and crater-retention age [e.g., 9, 11-12] define the base of the Hesperian System. However, preliminary results of geologic mapping reveal that the whole of Hesperia Planum is unlikely to be composed of the same materials, emplaced at the same geologic time. To unravel these complexities, we are generating a 1:1.5M-scale geologic map of Hesperia Planum and its surroundings (Fig. 1). To date, we have identified 4 distinct plains units within Hesperia Planum and are attempting to determine the nature and relative ages of these materials (Fig. 2) [13-15].

Gregg, Tracy K. P.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Mapping Tyrrhena Patera and Hesperia Planum, Mars

Hesperia Planum, characterized by a high concentration of mare-type wrinkle ridges and ridge rings [1-4], encompasses > 2 million sq km in the southern highlands of Mars (Fig. 1). The most common interpretation is that the plains were emplaced as "flood" lavas with total thicknesses of <3 km [4-10]. The wrinkle ridges on its surface make Hesperia Planum the type locale for "Hesperian-aged ridged plains" on Mars [e.g., 9], and recent investigations reveal that wrinkle-ridge formation occurred in more than one episode [4]. Hesperia Planum?s stratigraphic position and crater-retention age [e.g., 9, 11-12] define the base of the Hesperian System. However, results of geologic mapping reveal that the whole of Hesperia Planum is unlikely to be composed of the same materials, emplaced at the same geologic time. To unravel these complexities, we are generating a 1:1.5M-scale geologic map of Hesperia Planum and its surroundings (Fig. 1). We have identified 4 distinct plains units within Hesperia Planum and are attempting to determine the nature and relative ages of these materials (Fig. 2) [13, 14]. The volcano Tyrrhena Patera (22degS, 104degE) is located within Hesperia Planum. Its products are both embayed by, and superpose, Hesperia Planum materials [15, 16]. We were previously funded to generate a 1:1 million scale map of Mars Transverse Mercator (MTM) quadrangles -15257 and -20257, which include the Tyrrhena Patera materials north and west of the Tyrrhena Patera summit. The goal for these maps was to constrain the nature and extent of the Tyrrhena Patera deposits, and to determine the relationship between Tyrrhena Patera materials, Hesperia Planum, and the adjacent highlands [16].

Crown, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Missions and Instruments: Hopes and Hope Fulfilled

The titles in this section include: 1) Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera in the Extended Mission: The MOC Toolkit; 2) Mars Odyssey THEMIS-VIS Calibration; 3) Early Science Operations and Results from the ESA Mars Express Mission: Focus on Imaging and Spectral Mapping; 4) The Mars Express/NASA Project at JPL; 5) Beagle 2: Mission to Mars - Current Status; 6) The Beagle 2 Microscope; 7) Mars Environmental Chamber for Dynamic Dust Deposition and Statics Analysis; 8) Locating Targets for CRISM Based on Surface Morphology and Interpretation of THEMIS Data; 9) The Phoenix Mission to Mars; 10) First Studies of Possible Landing Sites for the Phoenix Mars Scout Mission Using the BMST; 11) The 2009 Mars Telecommunications Orbiter; 12) The Aurora Exploration Program - The ExoMars Mission; 13) Electron-induced Luminescence and X-Ray Spectrometer (ELXS) System Development; 14) Remote-Raman and Micro-Raman Studies of Solid CO2, CH4, Gas Hydrates and Ice; 15) The Compact Microimaging Spectrometer (CMIS): A New Tool for In-Situ Planetary Science; 16) Preliminary Results of a New Type of Surface Property Measurement Ideal for a Future Mars Rover Mission; 17) Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Solar Panels on Mars; 18) Sensor Web for Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of a Hydrological Environment; 19) Field Testing of an In-Situ Neutron Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration: First Results; 20) A Miniature Solid-State Spectrometer for Space Applications - Field Tests; 21) Application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to Mars Polar Exploration: LIBS Analysis of Water Ice and Water Ice/Soil Mixtures; 22) LIBS Analysis of Geological Samples at Low Pressures: Application to Mars, the Moon, and Asteroids; 23) In-Situ 1-D and 2-D Mapping of Soil Core and Rock Samples Using the LIBS Long Spark; 24) Rocks Analysis at Stand Off Distance by LIBS in Martian Conditions; 25) Evaluation of a Compact Spectrograph/Detection System for a LIBS Instrument for In-Situ and Stand-Off Detection; 26) Analysis of Organic Compounds in Mars Analog Samples; 27) Report of the Organic Contamination Science Steering Group; 28) The Water-Wheel IR (WIR) - A Contact Survey Experiment for Water and Carbonates on Mars; 29) Mid-IR Fiber Optic Probe for In Situ Water Detection and Characterization; 30) Effects of Subsurface Sampling & Processing on Martian Simulant Containing Varying Quantities of Water; 31) The Subsurface Ice Probe (SIPR): A Low-Power Thermal Probe for the Martian Polar Layered Deposits; 32) Deploying Ground Penetrating Radar in Planetary Analog Sites to Evaluate Potential Instrument Capabilities on Future Mars Missions; 33) Evaluation of Rock Powdering Methods to Obtain Fine-grained Samples for CHEMIN, a Combined XRD/XRF Instrument; 34) Novel Sample-handling Approach for XRD Analysis with Minimal Sample Preparation; 35) A New Celestial Navigation Method for Mars Landers; 36) Mars Mineral Spectroscopy Web Site: A Resource for Remote Planetary Spectroscopy.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission

NASA is developing solar sail propulsion for a near-term Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) reconnaissance mission and laying the groundwork for their future use in deep space science and exploration missions. The NEA Scout mission, funded by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program and managed by NASA MSFC, will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image one or more NEA's of interest for possible future human exploration. NEA Scout uses a 6U cubesat (to be provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), an 86 m2 solar sail and will weigh less than 14 kilograms. The solar sail for NEA Scout will be based on the technology developed and flown by the NASA NanoSail-D and The Planetary Society's Lightsail-A. Four ~7 m stainless steel booms wrapped on two spools (two overlapping booms per spool) will be motor deployed and pull the sail from its stowed volume. The sail material is an aluminized polyimide approximately 3 microns thick. NEA Scout will launch on the Space Launch System (SLS) first mission in 2018 and deploy from the SLS after the Orion spacecraft is separated from the SLS upper stage. The NEA Scout spacecraft will stabilize its orientation after ejection using an onboard cold-gas thruster system. The same system provides the vehicle Delta-V sufficient for a lunar flyby. After its first encounter with the moon, the 86 m2 sail will deploy, and the sail characterization phase will begin. A mechanical Active Mass Translation (AMT) system, combined with the remaining ACS propellant, will be used for sail momentum management. Once the system is checked out, the spacecraft will perform a series of lunar flybys until it achieves optimum departure trajectory to the target asteroid. The spacecraft will then begin its two year-long cruise. About one month before the asteroid flyby, NEA Scout will pause to search for the target and start its approach phase using a combination of radio tracking and optical navigation. The solar sail will provide continuous low thrust to enable a relatively slow flyby of the target asteroid under lighting conditions favorable to geological imaging. Once complete, NASA will have demonstrated the capability to fly low-cost, high Delta-V cubesats to perform interplanetary missions.

Johnson, Les↗
NASA NTRS1994

Feasibility of an integrated X-ray instrument for Mars exobiology and geology

By employing an integrated X-ray instrument on a future Mars mission, data obtained will greatly augment those returned by Viking; details relevant to the possibility of the origin and evolution of life on Mars will be acquired. An integrated combined X Ray Fluorescence/X Ray Detection (XRF/XRD) instrument has been breadboarded and demonstrated to accommodate important exobiology and geology experiment objectives outlined for Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) and future Mars missions. Among others, primary objectives for the exploration of Mars include: the intense study of local areas on Mars to 'establish the chemical, mineralogical, and petrological character of different components of the surface material; to determine the distribution, abundance and sources and sinks of volatile materials, including an assessment of the biologic potential, now and during past epochs; and to establish the global chemical and physical characteristics of the Martian surface'. The XRF/XRD breadboard instrument identifies and quantifies soil surface elemental, mineralogical, and petrological characteristics and acquires data necessary to address questions on volatile abundance and distribution. Additionally, the breadboard is able to characterize the biogenic element constituents of soil samples providing information on the biologic potential of the Mars environment.

Fonda, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Cenozoic thermal, mechanical and tectonic evolution of the Rio Grande rift

Two areas of New Mexico which exhibit complex but similar Cenozoic histories of extensional tectonism are analyzed. The first study area is the Basin and Range province and southern Rio Gande rift in southern New Mexico; the second study area is the central Rio Grande rift in central and northern New Mexico, the southern San Luis basin, the Espanola basin, and the Albuquerque basin. Two phases of extension were identified: the first phase which began in mid-Oligocene was characterized by local high-strain extension events, low-angle faulting, and the development of broad, shallow basins, all indicating an approximately NE-SW + or - 25 deg extension direction; the later phase which occurred primarily in the late Miocene, was characterized by synchronous, high-angle faulting, resulting in large vertical strains which produced the modern Rio Grande rift morphology. Extension direction was approximately E-W. Geotherms were estimated and lithospheric strength curves were calculated for these two phases of extension. A high geotherm was deduced for the early phase resulting in a shallow crustal brittle transition, and insignificant mantle strength. The lithosphere subsequently cooled, resulting in a significant zone of mantle strength beneath the Moho. It is concluded that the interrelationship among regional and local prerifting, synrifting, and postrifting events in the Rio Grande rift attests to the fact that the rifting (in the region studied) should be considered in the context of other geologic events.

Morgan, P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Paleolimnology of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The McMurdo Dry Valleys presently contain more than 20 permanent lakes and ponds, which vary markedly in character. All, with the exception of a hypersaline pond, have a perennial ice-cover. The dry valley lakes, and lakes in other ice-free regions of continental Antarctica, are unique on this planet in that they consistently maintain a thick year-round ice cover (2.8-6.0 m) over liquid water. The persistent ice covers minimize wind-generated currents and reduce light penetration, as well as restricting sediment deposition into a lake and the exchange of atmospheric gases between the water column and the atmosphere. From a paleolimnological perspective, the dry valley lakes offer an important record of catchment and environmental changes. These lakes are also modern-day equivalents of periglacial lakes that were common during glacial periods at temperate latitudes. The present lakes are mostly remnants of larger glacial lakes that occupied the valleys in the past, perhaps up to 4.6 Ma ago. Two of the valleys contain evidence of being filled with large glacial lakes within the last 10000 years. Repeated drying and filling events since then have left a characteristic impression on the salt profiles of some lakes creating a unique paleo-indicator within the water column. These events are also marked in the sediments by the concentration and dilution of certain chemical constituents, particularly salts, and are also corroborated by carbonate speciation and oxygen isotope analysis. Stratigraphic analysis of dry valley lake sediments is made difficult by the occurrence of an 'old carbon' reservoir creating spurious radiocarbon dates, and by the high degree of spatial variability in lake sedimentation. From a biological perspective, the lakes are relatively simple, containing various taxa of planktonic and benthic microorganisms, but no higher forms of life, which is an advantage to paleolimnologists because there is no bioturbation in the sediments. Useful biological paleo-indicators found in the sediments include cyanobacterial filament sheaths, diatom frustules and other eukaryotic algal cells, protozoan cysts, photosynthetic pigments, and minerals (e.g. carbonates) associated with microbial activity. Future work will benefit from fully characterizing the connection between the ice covers, environmental conditions, and paleo-indicators, thereby allowing refinement of inferences made concerning the paleoenvironment. New dating techniques need to be tested in this environment to overcome the problems associated with radiocarbon dating. The establishment of a detailed and focused paleolimnological campaign is proposed.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2019

2018 NISAR Applications Workshop: Wetlands; Workshop Report

Wetland ecosystems are a critical part of our natural environment, providing socioeconomic benefits to human communities and habitats to a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Socioeconomic benefits include improved water quality, flood control, foods, shoreline stabilization, groundwater recharge, and recreational opportunities. Wetlands also have a major role as carbon sinks and sources through processes that are influenced by the duration and timing of soil saturation and inundation. Thus, carbon and water cycle models must take into account wetland extent and seasonal patterns of wetland inundation. The joint NASA, US Geological Survey (USGS) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) workshop focused on advancing wetland applications of the spaceborne NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mission (NISAR), a jointly developed satellite between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) expected for launch early 2022. Participants from 15 national and international organizations --including US Federal Agencies, nonprofits, academics, and the private sector-- had been identified as key-players in facilitating integration of Earth Observations into decision support workflows. Discussions were held over two and a half days to convey the knowledge and measurement needs of the wetlands community and discuss the delivery of relevant geospatial products that could be derived from NISAR data. While the community typically characterizes wetlands by their hydrological process, vegetation and soil types, a central defining characteristic is that a wetland is a land area inundated or saturated in the rootzone for at least 2 weeks of the average vegetation growing season.

FWS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Spatial Relationship of Graben and Pit Craters at Rimae Daniell and the Implications of Scarp Formation

A geomorphologically complex and understudied region on the Moon is Rimæ Daniell, situated in Lacus Somniorum. This region is characterized by a set of NNW-SSE-oriented grabens, which have been implied to be underlain by dikes through topographic measurements of ground displacements and faulting processes. The coverage of topographic measurements with the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) now allows for an indepth morphologic analysis of lunar grabens. Lunar grabens, in general, occur peripheral to some near-side mare units, within floor-fractured craters, and inside larger impact structures. From, LOLA data across Rimæ Daniell indicate that these grabens are located atop broad rises that stand 100–150 m above their surroundings. Although has mapped out the northwestern most grabens at Rimæ Daniell, this area has a complex geologic history, including pit chain craters and the transition of the graben system to a steep scarp, which is disrupted by knobby terrain.

C. J. Ahrens↗
NASA NTRS1985

Geology and petrology of the Apollo 15 landing site - Past, present, and future understanding

The main objectives of the Apollo 15 lunar mission were to investigate and sample materials from the Apennine Front (expected to be Imbrium ejecta and pre-Imbrian materials), the Hadley Rille, and the mare lavas of Palus Putredinis. The Hadley Rille was found to be a collapsed lava tube or channel, and from it, many mare basalt samples were collected which form two main chemical groups of the same age (3.3 b.y.), isotopic characteristics, and rate-earth element patterns. One group, olivine-normative, contains many vescular specimens and shows an olivine fraction trend. The other group, quartz-normative, is pigeonite-phyric and contains both vitrophyric and coarse-grained samples but exhibits little fractionation. The Apennine Front samples include such highland materials as ferroan anorthosites, spinel-bearing troctolites, norites, impact melts and metamorphosed breccias. A conspicuous component of the regolith breccias is volcanic green glass. The Apennine Front is characterized by a low-KREEP composition, a composition which has never been found as a pristine igneous rock type. Another unexpected discovey was the common occurrence of 3.5 b.y. old volcanic KREEP basalts. It is concluded that all major lunar processes can be profitably studied from the samples and observations at this single location.

Spudis, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Updates of the KArLE Experiment: New Libs Calibration Under High Vacuum for the Quantification of Potassium in Basalt for In Situ Geochronology

In planetary exploration, in situ absolute geochronology is one of the main important measurements that needs to be accomplished. Until now, on Mars, the age of the surface is only determined by crater density counting, which gives relative ages. These ages can have a lot of uncertainty as they depend on many parameters. More than that, the curves must be ties to absolute ages. Thus far, only the lost lander Beagle 2 was designed to conduct absolute geochronology measurements, though some recent attempts using MSL Curiosity show that this investigation is feasible and should be strongly encouraged for future flight. Experimental: The Potassium (K)-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) is being developed at MSFC through the NASA Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP). The goal of this experiment is to provide in situ geochronology based on the K-Ar method. A laser ablates a rock under high vacuum, creating a plasma which is sensed by an optical spectrometer to do Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The ablated material frees gases, including radiogenic 40Ar,which is measured by a mass spectrometer (MS). As the potassium is a content and the 40Ar is a quantity, the ablated mass needed in order to relate them. The mass is given by the product of the ablated volume by the density of this material. So we determine the mineralogy of the ablated material with the LIBS spectra and images and calculate its density. The volume of the pit is measured by using microscopy. LIBS measurement of K under high vacuum: Three independant projects [1, 2, 3] including KArLE, are developing geochronological instruments based on this LA-LIBS-MS method. Despite several differences in their setup, all of them have validated the methods with analyses and ages. However, they all described difficulties with the LIBS measurements of K [3,4]. At ambient pressure, the quantification of K by LIBS on geological materials can be accurate [5]. However the protocol of the LA-LIBS-MS experiment required hundreds of shots under high vacuum in order to free enough 40Ar* to be measured by the QMS. This long duration of ablation may induces significant changes in the LIBS spectra. The pressure may increases by orders of magnitudewithin the chamber and the laser pit geometry can change the effectiveness of ablation and intensity of plasma light received. These effects introduce variation between the first and last spectra and so the quantification of K is more complex. The ablation of one crater can give, depending on the protocol of acquisition, from tens to hundreds of spectra. Protocol and results: We are in the process of further characterizing the variation introduced into LIBS spectra by the use of hundreds of laser shots, and definining a protocol that can be used to ensure accuracy and reporoducibility in the results.We are using natural rock powder standards fused in a furnace, as well as mars analog samples with known K content. We will show the result of the calibration and some new statistical approaches in order to apprehend the effects of the long time ablation on rocks under high vacuum.

Devismes, D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Venus: Preliminary geologic mapping of southern Beta Regio-northern Phoebe Regio

New preliminary geologic maps of C1 sheets 15N283 and 00N283 were compiled according to Magellan data. The oldest terrains are tesserae that have fragmentlike shapes. Its margins are partly buried by younger plain materials. Volcanic plains are the dominant types of terrains. There are many different volcanic features on plains: radar-bright and -dark flows and spots, shield volcanos, volcanic domes and hills with varied morphology, and coronalike constructions. Devana Chasma rift crosses the surface between Beta Regio and Phoebe regio. The rift's normal faults dissect volcanic plains and shield volcanos. The rift valleys are relatively young structures. According to structural analysis of the rift valleys we conclude the rift originated due to 5-10 percent crustal extension and crustal subsidence. Devana Chasma rift is characterized by shoulder uplifts.

Nikishin, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Quantitative Electron Probe Microanalysis: State of the Art

Quantitative electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) has improved due to better instrument design and X-ray correction methods. Design improvement of the electron column and X-ray spectrometer has resulted in measurement precision that exceeds analytical accuracy. Wavelength-dispersive spectrometer (WDS) have layered-dispersive diffraction crystals with improved light-element sensitivity. Newer energy-dispersive spectrometers (EDS) have Si-drift detector elements, thin window designs, and digital processing electronics with X-ray throughput approaching that of WDS Systems. Using these systems, digital X-ray mapping coupled with spectrum imaging is a powerful compositional mapping tool. Improvements in analytical accuracy are due to better X-ray correction algorithms, mass absorption coefficient data sets,and analysis method for complex geometries. ZAF algorithms have ban superceded by Phi(pz) algorithms that better model the depth distribution of primary X-ray production. Complex thin film and particle geometries are treated using Phi(pz) algorithms, end results agree well with Monte Carlo simulations. For geological materials, X-ray absorption dominates the corretions end depends on the accuracy of mass absorption coefficient (MAC) data sets. However, few MACs have been experimentally measured, and the use of fitted coefficients continues due to general success of the analytical technique. A polynomial formulation of the Bence-Albec alpha-factor technique, calibrated using Phi(pz) algorithms, is used to critically evaluate accuracy issues and can be also be used for high 2% relative and is limited by measurement precision for ideal cases, but for many elements the analytical accuracy is unproven. The EPMA technique has improved to the point where it is frequently used instead of the petrogaphic microscope for reconnaissance work. Examples of stagnant research areas are: WDS detector design characterization of calibration standards, and the need for more complete treatment of the continuum X-ray fluorescence correction.

Carpernter, P. K.↗