Search Publications
Large Glacier-Like Forms on Mars: Insights From Crater Morphologies and Crater Retention Ages
El-Maarry, M. R.; Driver, G.; Hubbard, B. +1 more
Glacier-Like Forms (GLFs) are a subset of ice-rich landforms known as Viscous Flow Features that populate Mars' mid-latitudes. GLFs are morphologically similar to terrestrial valley glaciers and are thought to result from the redistribution of water ice from the Martian poles during periods of high obliquity throughout the Amazonian period. Their …
Geologic History of Deuteronilus Cavus in the Ismenius Lacus Region, Mars
Head, James W.; Hiesinger, Harald; Wueller, Lukas +1 more
The Ismenius Lacus region of Mars has a diverse geological history, and we present the first high-resolution map of Deuteronilus Cavus (36.2°N; 14.0°E, ∼120 km diameter) in the fretted terrain south of the dichotomy boundary. Strong evidence suggests a volcanic origin of the regional plains, based on the ∼50 m thick volcanic bed underlying 180-300…
Effect of Target Layering in Gravity-Dominated Cratering in Nature, Experiments, and Numerical Simulations
Rossi, A. P.; Raducan, S. D.; Collins, G. S. +4 more
Impacts into layered targets may generate "concentric craters" where a wider outer crater in the top layer surrounds a smaller, nested crater in the basement, which itself may be complex or simple. The influence of target on cratering depends on the ratio of target strength to lithostatic stress, which, in turn, is affected by gravity, target dens…
Amazonian Tectonic Evolution of Ceraunius and Tractus Fossae, Mars, and Implications for Local Magmatic Sources
Byrne, Paul K.; Shahrzad, Stephanie; Bramham, Emma K. +2 more
The heavily faulted Martian terrains of Ceraunius Fossae and Tractus Fossae, south of the Alba Mons volcano, have previously only been considered as parts of larger tectonic studies of Alba Mons, and consequently the complexity of the faulting remains unclear. As these terrains are in the midst of the large Tharsis volcanoes, the study of their su…
Prolonged Fluvial Activity Revealed by Mapping and Analyses of Valley Networks in the Northwestern Hellas Region, Mars
Xiao, Long; Zhao, Jiannan; Shi, Yutong +4 more
Valley networks (VNs) on Mars are crucial for understanding the Martian hydrologic and climatic history. However, the limited resolution of remote sensing data hindered the complete identification of Martian VNs, affecting our understanding of the formation and duration of VNs as well as their climatic significance. In this study, we utilized high…
Megaflood Erosion on Mars—How Lava-Filled Craters Became Mesas (With Insights From Lava Physics, Stream Power, and Rock Mechanics)
Coleman, Neil M.
Round mesas up to 500 m high occur in Martian outflow channels. Mesas in Ravi and Elaver Valles occur in deepest parts of the channels where the most intense megaflood erosion occurred. I theorize that Noachian basalts poured into craters which acted as lava traps, similar to Kilauean lava lakes. Subsequent flood basalts buried the infilled crater…
The Thermal Structure and Composition of Jupiter's Great Red Spot From JWST/MIRI
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Fletcher, Leigh N. +15 more
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) was mapped by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9-27.9 µm) in July and August 2022. These observations took place alongside a suite of visual and infrared observations from; Hubble, JWST/NIRCam, Very Large Telescope/VISIR and amateur observers which provided both spatial and tempo…
The Role of Ice and Latitude-Dependent Mantling on Boulder Distributions Across the Martian Northern Lowlands
Ewing, R. C.; Karunatillake, S.; Cohen-Zada, A. L. +1 more
Boulders are ubiquitous on rocky planets and provide valuable information about planetary processes. The abundance, size, and distribution of boulders offer insights into the primary processes that form them and the secondary processes that modify their position and size. However, the roles of varying environmental processes, including cryospheric…
The Role and Lifetime of Dissociative Heterogeneous Processes in Improving Simulated Ozone on Mars
Patel, M. R.; Mason, J. P.; Lefèvre, F. +4 more
Ozone simulated in Mars Global Climate Models (MGCMs) is used to assess the underlying chemistry occurring in the atmosphere. Currently, ozone total column abundance (TCA) is under-predicted in MGCMs by up to 120%, implying missing or inaccurate chemistry in models. Heterogeneous reactions of hydroxyl radicals (HOX) have been offered as…
Ultraviolet NO and Visible O2 Nightglow in the Mars Southern Winter Polar Region: Statistical Study and Model Comparison
Vandaele, A. C.; Daerden, F.; Thomas, I. R. +8 more
The Mars NO and the O2 nightglow are produced by the recombination of atoms produced on the dayside by photodissociation and transported to the nightside. These emissions are tracers of the summer to winter pole dynamics in the upper Mars atmosphere. The UV-visible (UVIS) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) s…