Publications
Filter Total Items: 915
A global shape model for Saturn's moon Enceladus from a dense photogrammetric control network
A planetary bodys global shape provides both insight into its geologic evolution, and a key element of any Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI). NASAs Cassini mission to Saturn acquired more than 600 moderate- to high-resolution images (< 500 m/pixel) of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. The moons internal global ocean and intriguing geology mark it as a candidate for future e
Authors
Michael T. Bland, Lynn A. Weller, David Mayer, Brent Archinal
Coordination of planetary coordinate system recommendations by the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements–2020 status and future
Our goal is to request input from the lunar and planetary community regarding issues of planetary coordinate systems and cartography standards. We begin with an overview of the work of the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements. We briefly describe the operations and membership of the Working Group, some of the various uses of the recomme
Authors
Brent Archinal, C. H. Acton, A. Conrad, T. Duxbury, D. Hestroffer, J. L. Hilton, L. Jorda, Randolph L. Kirk, S. A. Klioner, J.-L. Margot, J. Oberst, F. Paganelli, J. Ping, K. Seidelmann, D. J. Tholen, I. P. Williams
Evidence for a diagenetic origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and synthesis of Curiosity's exploration campaign
This paper provides an overview of the Curiosity rover's exploration at Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) and summarizes the science results. VRR is a distinct geomorphic feature on lower Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) that was identified in orbital data based on its distinct texture, topographic expression, and association with a hematite spectral signature. Curiosity conducted extensive remo
Authors
Abigail A. Fraeman, Lauren A. Edgar, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Lucy M. Thompson, Jens Frydenvang, Christopher M. Fedo, Jeff G. Catalano, William E. Dietrich, Travis S. J. Gabriel, John P. Grotzinger, Jonas L'Haridon, Nicholas Mangold, Vivian Z. Sun, Christopher H House, Alexander Bryk, Craig Hardgrove, Sean Czarnecki, Kathryn M. Stack, Richard V. Morris, Ray E. Arvidson, Steve G. Banham, Kristen A. Bennett, Jon C. Bridges, Christopher S. Edwards, Woodward W. Fischer, Valerie K. Fox, Sanjeev Gupta, Briony H. N. Horgan, Sammantha R. Jacob, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Sarah S. Johnson, David R. Rubin, Mark R Salvatore, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Kirsten L. Siebach, Nathan T. Stein, Stuart Turner, Danika F. Wellington, Roger C. Wiens, Amy J. Williams, G.A. Davidson, Gregory M. Wong
The chemostratigraphy of the Murray formation and role of diagenesis at Vera Rubin ridge in Gale crater, Mars, as observed by the ChemCam instrument
Geochemical results are presented from Curiosity’s exploration of the Vera Rubin ridge (VRR), in addition to the full chemostratigraphy of the predominantly lacustrine mudstone Murray formation up to and including VRR. VRR is a prominent ridge flanking Aeolis Mons (informally Mt. Sharp), the central mound in Gale crater, Mars, and was a key area of interest for the Mars Science Laboratory mission.
Authors
Jens Frydenvang, Nicholas Mangold, Roger C. Wiens, Abigail A. Fraeman, Lauren A. Edgar, Christopher M. Fedo, Jonas L'Haridon, Candice C. Bedford, Sanjeev Gupta, John P. Grotzinger, Jon C. Bridges, Ben C. Clark, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Olivier Gasnaut, Sylvestre Maurice, Patrick J. Gasda, Nina L. Lanza, Ann M. Olilla, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Valerie Payre, Fred J. Calef, Mark R Salvatore, Christopher H House
Conceptual model for the removal of cold-trapped H2O ice on the Mars northern seasonal springtime polar cap
The transport of H2O ice along the retreating north polar seasonal CO2 ice cap has previously been modeled and observed. Spectral observations show that H2O ice forms on the interior of the seasonal cap, while thermal observations show these regions to be consistent with CO2 ice. Prior to the sublimation of the seasonal CO2, the observed H2O ice deposits are diminished—and because H2O ice sublimat
Authors
Timothy N. Titus, Kaj E. Williams, Glen E. Cushing
Planetary science decadal survey planetary mission concept study report: Ceres: Exploration of Ceres’ habitability
Dwarf planet Ceres is a compelling target as an evolved ocean world with, at least, regional brine reservoirs and potentially ongoing geological activity. As the most water-rich body in the inner solar system (in relative abundance), it is a representative of the population of planetesimals that brought volatiles and organics to the inner solar system. Situated in the Main Belt of asteroids, Ceres
Authors
J. C. Castillo-Rogez, John Brody, Michael T. Bland, Debra Buczkowski, Robert Grimm, A. Hendrix, Kelly Miller, Thomas Prettyman, Lynnae Quick, Carol Raymond, Jennifer Scully, Michael M. Sori, Yasuhito Sekine, David Williams, Michael Zolensky
Geomorphological evidence for a dry dust avalanche origin of slope streaks on Mars
Mars has several different types of slope feature that resemble aqueous flows. However, the current cold, dry conditions are inimical to liquid water, resulting in uncertainty about its role in modern surface processes. Dark slope streaks were among the first distinctive young slope features to be identified on Mars and the first with activity seen in orbital images. They form markings on steep sl
Authors
Colin M. Dundas
A newly emerging thermal area in Yellowstone
Yellowstone is a large restless caldera that contains many dynamic thermal areas that are the surface expression of the deeper magmatic system. In 2018, using a Landsat 8 nighttime thermal infrared image, we discovered the emergence of a new thermal area located near Tern Lake on the northeast margin of the Sour Creek dome. A high-spatial-resolution airborne visible image from August 2017 revealed
Authors
R. Greg Vaughan, Jefferson Hungerford, Bill Keller
The Moon as a climate-quality radiometric calibration reference
On-orbit calibration requirements for a space-based climate observing system include long-term sensor response stability and reliable inter-calibration of multiple sensors, both contemporaneous and in succession. The difficulties with achieving these for reflected solar wavelength instruments are well known. The Moon can be considered a diffuse reflector of sunlight, and its exceptional photometri
Authors
Thomas C. Stone, Hugh H. Kieffer, Constantine Lukashin, Kevin Turpie
Sparse subsurface radar reflectors in Hellas Planitia, Mars
Geomorphological features potentially related to subsurface ice, such as scalloped depressions, expanded craters, pedestal craters, and banded terrain, are present in and around Hellas Planitia, Mars. We present a radar survey of the region using the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to identify candidate subsurface reflectors that may be due to the p
Authors
Claire W Cook, Ali M Bramson, Shane Byrne, John W Holt, Michael S Christoffersen, Donna Viola, Colin M. Dundas, Timothy A Goudge
The Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3): Composition and stability
We present an expansion to the Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) describing 1) bulk dune field composition determined by fitting a mineral spectral library to Thermal Emission Spectra (TES) data, and 2) a morphologic stability index that measures the degree of non-aeolian modification that has eroded and stabilized each dune field. This paper describes results for these two components, prov
Authors
Lori K. Fenton, Amber Gullikson, Rosalyn Hayward, Heather Charles, Timothy N. Titus
Disk-integrated thermal properties of Ceres measured at the millimeter wavelengths
We observed Ceres at three epochs in 2015 November and 2017 September and October with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 12 m array and in 2017 October with the ALMA Compact Array (ACA), all at ~265 GHz continuum (wavelengths of ~1.1 mm) to map the temperatures of Ceres over a full rotation at each epoch. We also used 2017 October ACA observations to search for HCN. The disk-aver
Authors
Jian-Yang Li, Arielle Moullet, Timothy N. Titus, Henry H. Hsieh, Mark V. Sykes