Publications
Filter Total Items: 915
Determining grain characteristics in the Shaler Outcrop with ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager mosaics
Analysis of grain size distribution from RMI mosaics (Curiosity) are used to better define variations in grain size and facies in the Shaler outcrop.
Authors
A. J. Williams, J. M. Williams, R.B. Anderson, L.A. Edgar, H. Newsom, S. Le Mouélic, M. Minitti, R. Wiens, S. Maurice
Volcanic glass signatures in spectroscopic survey of newly proposed lunar pyroclastic deposits
Moon Mineralogy Mapper spectroscopic observations are used to assess the mineralogy of five sites that have recently been proposed to include lunar dark mantle deposits (DMDs). Volcanic glasses have, for the first time, clearly been identified at the location of three of the proposed pyroclastic deposits. This is the first time that volcanic glasses have been identified at such a small scale on th
Authors
Sebastien Besse, Jessica Sunshine, Lisa R. Gaddis
Summary and abstracts of the Planetary Data Workshop, June 2012
The recent boom in the volume of digital data returned by international planetary science missions continues to both delight and confound users of those data. In just the past decade, the Planetary Data System (PDS), NASA’s official archive of scientific results from U.S. planetary missions, has seen a nearly 50-fold increase in the amount of data and now serves nearly half a petabyte. In only a h
Authors
Lisa R. Gaddis, Trent M. Hare, Ross Beyer
Vesta surface thermal properties map
The first ever regional thermal properties map of Vesta has been derived from the temperatures retrieved by infrared data by the mission Dawn. The low average value of thermal inertia, 30 ± 10 J m−2 s−0.5 K−1, indicates a surface covered by a fine regolith. A range of thermal inertia values suggesting terrains with different physical properties has been determined. The lower thermal inertia of the
Authors
Maria Teresa Capria, F. Tosi, Maria Cristina De Santis, F. Capaccioni, E. Ammannito, A. Frigeri, F Zambon, S. Fonte, E. Palomba, D. Turrini, T.N. Titus, S.E. Schroder, M.J. Toplis, J.Y. Liu, J. -P. Combe, C.A. Raymond, C.T. Russell
Thermal behavior and ice-table depth within the north polar erg of Mars
We fully resolve a long-standing thermal discrepancy concerning the north polar erg of Mars. Several recent studies have shown that the erg’s thermal properties are consistent with normal basaltic sand overlying shallow ground ice or ice-cemented sand. Our findings bolster that conclusion by thoroughly characterizing the thermal behavior of the erg, demonstrating that other likely forms of physica
Authors
Nathaniel E. Putzig, Michael T. Mellon, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Roger J. Phillips, Brian J. Davis, Kenneth J. Ewer, Lauren M. Bowers
Igneous mineralogy at Bradbury Rise: the first ChemCam campaign at Gale crater
Textural and compositional analyses using ChemCam Remote Micro Imager (RMI) and
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) have been performed on 5 float rocks and
coarse gravels along the first 100 meters of the Curiosity traverse at Bradbury rise.
ChemCam, the first LIBS instrument sent to another planet, offers the opportunity to assess
mineralogic diversity at grain-size scales (∼100μm) and,
Authors
V. Sautter, C. Fabre, O. Forni, M.J. Toplis, A. Cousin, A.M. Ollila, P.-Y. Meslin, S. Maurice, R. C. Wiens, D. Baratoux, N. Mangold, S. Le Mouélic, O. Gasnault, G. Berger, J. Lasue, R.A. Anderson, E. Lewin, M. Schmidt, D. Dyar, B.L. Ehlmann, J. Bridges, B. Clark, P. Pinet
Recurring slope lineae in equatorial regions of Mars
The presence of liquid water is a requirement of habitability on a planet. Possible indicators of liquid surface water on Mars include intermittent flow-like features observed on sloping terrains. These recurring slope lineae are narrow, dark markings on steep slopes that appear and incrementally lengthen during warm seasons on low-albedo surfaces. The lineae fade in cooler seasons and recur over
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Mattson, Anthony D. Toigo, Lujendra Ojha, James J. Wray, Matthew Chojnacki, Shane Byrne, Scott L. Murchie, Nicolas Thomas
Volatile and organic compositions of sedimentary rocks in Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars
H2O, CO2, SO2, O2, H2, H2S, HCl, chlorinated hydrocarbons, NO, and other trace gases were evolved during pyrolysis of two mudstone samples acquired by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay within Gale crater, Mars. H2O/OH-bearing phases included 2:1 phyllosilicate(s), bassanite, akaganeite, and amorphous materials. Thermal decomposition of carbonates and combustion of organic materials are candid
Authors
D. W. Ming, P.D. Archer, D.P. Glavin, J.L. Eigenbrode, H.B. Franz, B. Sutter, A.E. Brunner, J. C. Stern, C. Freissinet, A.C. McAdam, P.R. Mahaffy, M. Cabane, P. Coll, J.L. Campbell, S.K. Atreya, P.B. Niles, J.F. Bell, D.L. Bish, W.B. Brinckerhoff, A. Buch, P.G. Conrad, D.J. Des Marais, B.L. Ehlmann, A.G. Fairén, K. Farley, G.J. Flesch, P. Francois, Ralf Gellert, J. A. Grant, J.P. Grotzinger, S. Gupta, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, J.A. Hurowitz, L.A. Leshin, K.W. Lewis, S. M. McLennan, Karl E. Miller, J. Moersch, R.V. Morris, R. Navarro- González, A.A. Pavlov, G.M. Perrett, I. Pradler, S. W. Squyres, Roger E. Summons, A. Steele, E.M. Stolper, D.Y. Sumner, C. Szopa, S. Teinturier, M.G. Trainer, A.H. Treiman, D. T. Vaniman, A.R. Vasavada, C.R. Webster, J.J. Wray, R.A. Yingst
Trace element geochemistry (Li, Ba, Sr, and Rb) using Curiosity's ChemCam: early results for Gale crater from Bradbury Landing Site to Rocknest
The ChemCam instrument package on the Mars rover, Curiosity, provides new capabilities to probe the abundances of certain trace elements in the rocks and soils on Mars using the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique. We focus on detecting and quantifying Li, Ba, Rb, and Sr in targets analyzed during the first 100 sols, from Bradbury Landing Site to Rocknest. Univariate peak area models an
Authors
Ann M. Ollila, Horton E. Newsom, Benton Clark, Roger C. Wiens, Agnès Cousin, Jen G. Blank, Nicolas Mangold, Violaine Sautter, Sylvestre Maurice, Samuel M. Clegg, Olivier Gasnault, Olivier Forni, Robert Tokar, Eric Lewin, M. Darby Dyar, Jeremie Lasue, Ryan Anderson, Scott M. McLennan, John Bridges, Dave Vaniman, Nina Lanza, Cecile Fabre, Noureddine Melikechi, Glynis M. Perett, John L. Campbell, Penelope L. King, Bruce Barraclough, Dorothea Delapp, Stephen Johnstone, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Anya Rosen-Gooding, Josh Williams
Ancient aqueous environments at Endeavour crater, Mars
Opportunity has investigated in detail rocks on the rim of the Noachian age Endeavour crater, where orbital spectral reflectance signatures indicate the presence of Fe+3-rich smectites. The signatures are associated with fine-grained, layered rocks containing spherules of diagenetic or impact origin. The layered rocks are overlain by breccias, and both units are cut by calcium sulfate veins precip
Authors
R. E. Arvidson, S. W. Squyres, J.F. Bell, J.G. Catalano, B. C. Clark, L.S. Crumpler, P.A. de Souza, A.G. Fairén, W. H. Farrand, V.K. Fox, Ralf Gellert, A. Ghosh, M.P. Golombeck, J.P. Grotzinger, E.A. Guinness, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, B.L. Jolliff, A.H. Knoll, R. Li, S. M. McLennan, D. W. Ming, D. W. Mittlefehldt, Johnnie N. Moore, R.V. Morris, S.L. Murchie, T. J. Parker, G. Paulsen, J.W. Rice, S. W. Ruff, M. D. Smith, M.J. Wolff
The case for a modern multiwavelength, polarization-sensitive LIDAR in orbit around Mars
We present the scientific case to build a multiple-wavelength, active, near-infrared (NIR) instrument to measure the reflected intensity and polarization characteristics of backscattered radiation from planetary surfaces and atmospheres. We focus on the ability of such an instrument to enhance, perhaps revolutionize, our understanding of climate, volatiles and astrobiological potential of modern-d
Authors
Adrian J. Brown, Timothy I. Michaels, Shane Byrne, Wenbo Sun, Timothy N. Titus, Anthony Colaprete, Michael J. Wolff, Gorden Videen, Christian J. Grund
Widespread loess-like deposit in the Martian northern lowlands identifies Middle Amazonian climate change
Consistently mappable units critical to distinguishing the style and interplay of geologic processes through time are sparse in the Martian lowlands. This study identifies a previously unmapped Middle Amazonian (ca. 1 Ga) unit (Middle Amazonian lowland unit, mAl) that postdates the Late Hesperian and Early Amazonian lowland plains by >2 b.y. The unit is regionally defined by subtle marginal scarps
Authors
James A. Skinner, Kenneth L. Tanaka, Thomas Platz