Search Publications
Ion Escape From Mars Through Time: An Extrapolation of Atmospheric Loss Based on 10 Years of Mars Express Measurements
Barabash, Stas; Nilsson, Hans; Holmström, Mats +2 more
Solar wind-driven atmospheric ion escape has long been hypothesized as a major influence on the evolution of the Martian atmosphere due to the lack of a Martian global dipole magnetic field. We use 10 years (2007-2017) of Mars Express data to quantify the ion escape rate over the fully sampled parameter space of upstream solar wind dynamic pressur…
Geological Features and Evolution of Yardangs in the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau (NW China): A Terrestrial Analogue for Mars
Huang, Jun; Xiao, Long; Xu, Yi +6 more
Wind-eroded ridges known as yardangs are common in most arid desert regions on Earth, as well as on other planets, notably in the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) and Gale Crater on Mars. However, the formation and evolution of these various yardangs are not well understood, which, therefore, requires further studies by more terrestrial analogues. H…
Spatial, Seasonal, and Solar Cycle Variations of the Martian Total Electron Content (TEC): Is the TEC a Good Tracer for Atmospheric Cycles?
Indurain, Mikel; González-Galindo, Francisco; Witasse, Olivier +7 more
We analyze 10 years of Mars Express total electron content (TEC) data from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument. We describe the spatial, seasonal, and solar cycle behavior of the Martian TEC. Due to orbit evolution, data come mainly from the evening, dusk terminator and postdusk nightside. The annual…
Topographic Expressions of Large Thrust Faults on Mars
Klimczak, Christian; Kling, Corbin L.; Byrne, Paul K.
On planets with little erosion, thrust faults produce broad, asymmetric, positive-relief, linear to arcuate ridges—often referred to as lobate scarps—that remain largely unaltered, such that their topographic expressions are a measure of the structural uplift caused by the displacement and associated country rock deformation of the faults. Here we…
Incision of Licus Vallis, Mars, From Multiple Lake Overflow Floods
Goudge, Timothy A.; Fassett, Caleb I.
Licus Vallis is a large valley (>350 km long, >2 km wide, and >150 m deep) that heads at the outlet breach of an 30 km diameter impact crater. We present observations of the geomorphology and topography of this paleolake outlet valley and associated tributary valleys to constrain the history of incision of the Licus Vallis system. Licus V…
Geomorphological Evidence for Shallow Ice in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars
McEwen, A. S.; Viola, D.
The localized loss of near-surface excess ice on Mars by sublimation (and perhaps melting) can produce thermokarstic collapse features such as expanded craters and scalloped depressions, which can be indicators of the preservation of shallow ice. We demonstrate this by identifying High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment images containing expand…
MGS-TES Spectra Suggest a Basaltic Component in the Regolith of Phobos
Glotch, Timothy D.; Edwards, Christopher S.; Yesiltas, Mehmet +5 more
The origins of the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos have been the subjects of considerable debate. Visible and near-infrared spectra of these bodies are dark and nearly featureless, with red slopes of varying degrees. These spectra are generally consistent with those of carbonaceous asteroids, leading to the hypothesis that Phobos and Deimos are ca…
UV Dayglow Variability on Mars: Simulation With a Global Climate Model and Comparison With SPICAM/MEx Data
Forget, F.; Montmessin, F.; Chaufray, J. -Y. +4 more
A model able to simulate the CO Cameron bands and the CO2+ UV doublet, two of the most prominent UV emissions in the Martian dayside, has been incorporated into a Mars global climate model. The model self-consistently quantifies the effects of atmospheric variability on the simulated dayglow for the first time. Comparison of …
Modeling the Hydrological Cycle in the Atmosphere of Mars: Influence of a Bimodal Size Distribution of Aerosol Nucleation Particles
Medvedev, Alexander S.; Fedorova, Anna A.; Hartogh, Paul +3 more
We present a new implementation of the hydrological cycle scheme into a general circulation model of the Martian atmosphere. The model includes a semi-Lagrangian transport scheme for water vapor and ice and accounts for microphysics of phase transitions between them. The hydrological scheme includes processes of saturation, nucleation, particle gr…
Geology of Hebes Chasma, Mars: 1. Structure, Stratigraphy, and Mineralogy of the Interior Layered Deposits
Flahaut, Jessica; Hauber, Ernst; Fueten, Frank +2 more
Hebes Chasma is an 8-km deep, 126 by 314 km, isolated basin that is partially filled with massive deposits of water-altered strata called interior layered deposits (ILDs). By analyzing the ILD's structure, stratigraphy, and mineralogy, a depositional history of Hebes Chasma is interpreted. Three distinct ILD units were found and are informally ref…