SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Localized erosion at the edge of crater floors may be caused by hydrothermal alteration due to focusing of fluid flow around an impact melt sheet following crater formation, coupled with hydrothermal self-sealing under the center of the crater. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data collected over an area north of the town of Hico, central Texas, have been used to map disturbances in the surface topography and subsurface stratigraphy. The Radar topography results confirm the presence of multiple rings suggestive of an impact crater. Correlation between the orbital SRTM and on-the-ground GPR field data are affected by different biases related to variations in terrain and vegetation cover. Nevertheless, the correspondence of the two data sets supports the earlier conclusions that a complex, multiple ring impact structure is reflected in the topography of this area. The SRTM data reveal three previously unrecognized rings; with the outermost ring some 5-6 km in diameter. The crater appears to be significantly larger than the size (2.5 km diameter) previously inferred on the basis of aerial images. In addition, the GPR data suggest the presence of subsurface faulting that spatially coincides with the two inner rings of the crater. This suggests that the topographic rings are structurally controlled by faulting.
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been exploring the western rim of the 22 km diameter Endeavour crater since August, 2011. Recently, Opportunity has reached a break in the Endeavour rim that the rover team has named Mara-thon Valley. This is the site where orbital observations from the MRO CRISM imaging spectrometer indicated the presence of iron smectites. On the outer western portion of Marathon Valley, Opportunity explored the crater-form feature dubbed Spirit of St. Louis (SoSL) crater. This presentation describes the 430 to 1009 nm (VNIR) reflectance, measured by the rover's Pancam, of rock units present both at Spirit of St. Louis and within Marathon Valley.
Infrared spectral emittance of natural rock surface from Pisgah Crater and Mono Craters area in California
Crater bowl contribution to covariance function of elevations on cratered planetary surface
Lunar glass spheres cratering origin hypothesis from target temperature effects on crater morphology in targets impacted by high velocity Al projectiles
Investigations were made into the details of ejecta blankets of large fresh craters in an effort to provide insight into deposition mechanics and sequence of impact debris emplacement. King Crater, photographed by Apollo 16, served as the investigative tool.
Early analyses of cratering and other Martian surface properties that indicated extensive ancient erosion have been strongly supported by Mariner 9 data. By their great variations in density, these craters indicate a history of Martian erosion and crustal development intermediate between earth and the moon.
The Lunar crater has several unique characteristics that make it a valid analogue for similar craters on Mars. We have characterized the secondary alteration assemblage at Lunar in order to make implications for martian alteration materials. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
This paper discusses the use of a crater detection algorithm for Mars crater imagery.
Gale is a Late Noachian/Early Hesperian impact crater located on the dichotomy boundary separating the southern highlands and the northern lowlands of Mars. NASA's Curiosity Rover is currently exploring Gale, searching for evidence of habitability early in Mars history. With an approximate diameter of 155 km, and a approx. 5 km central mound informally titled Mt. Sharp, Gale represents a region of geologic interest due to the abundance of knowledge that can be derived, through its sedimentary deposits, pertaining to the environmental evolution of Mars. This study was undertaken to compare wind erosional features in Gale Crater and within sediments in a 1000 km radial area. The ultimate objective of this comparison was to determine if or how Gale relates to the surrounding region.
Lunar craters with centrally located peaks - tables and profile graphs
Covariance function of elevations on cratered planetary surface
Inside densities of young lunar craters
Lunar crater densities inside Tycho, Aristarchus and Copernicus
Intense early cratering in the first few hundred million years of the solar system, its decline to the present rate, and the consequent effects on the evolution of planetary surfaces were studied.
We show that ejecta is thinner on Ceres compared to the Moon. Ejecta blanketing may not be efficiently degrading craters larger than 10 km.
Petrography of Meteor Crator, Arizona