Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
David Haack, Solmaz Adeli, Ernst Hauber
Summary: An integrated analysis of Gorgonum Chaos in Terra Sirenum reveals a transition from humid conditions with liquid water on Mars in the past to the current hyper-arid environment. The varying content of hydrated minerals in different geological units reflects the geological history of the region.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2021)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra Witze
Summary: After completing its first year on Mars, Perseverance will explore an ancient delta in search of evidence of past life.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Stefano Nerozzi, Maya R. Ortiz, John W. Holt
Summary: The basal unit in the Planum Boreum of Mars is a sedimentary deposit containing water ice and lithic fines. It can be divided into two subunits, rupe over bars and cavi, based on their stratigraphy and age. Despite recent studies, key questions about its nature, age, and historical record remain unanswered.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
H. Savijarvi, A-M Harri
Summary: Observations from Phoenix and Curiosity show diurnal adsorption of near-surface air moisture, which is insensitive to the mineralogy of regolith. Standard-form adsorption isotherms with different specific surface areas produce nearly identical matches with observed water vapor pressures, suggesting low-pressure water vapor adsorption to martian regolith is nonspecific and associated with low enthalpy.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
H. I. Savijarvi, G. M. Martinez, A. -M. Harri
Summary: Based on the M2020 mission observations and simulations, the diurnal ground surface and air temperatures, as well as the five major surface energy budget fluxes, were well modeled using diurnally variable apparent ground thermal inertia derived from hourly observations. The measurements, diagnostic method, and model results are consistent with the nonhomogeneous terrain in the field-of-view of the thermal infrared and solar sensors. However, the simulations of observed air temperatures require less extreme values of apparent ground thermal inertia consistent with THEMIS retrievals. Therefore, the measured ground temperature for the small FOV may not always represent the larger region controlling the near-surface atmospheric temperature profile around the rover.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Norbert Schorghofer
Summary: Caves on Mars may contain water ice deposits, with hoarfrost being the main type of cave ice. The role of cave microclimates in maintaining ice bodies is comparatively evaluated.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Philip D. Gingerich
Summary: Rates are widely used in geological sciences to characterize processes, with the numerator representing change or difference and the denominator corresponding to an interval of time. Temporal scaling examines the relationship between differences, rates, and their associated time intervals, often analyzed on logarithmic axes. Geological studies commonly involve rates dependent on denominators due to observed changes being constrained to a narrower range compared to the longer spans of geological time. When rates are dependent on denominators, comparisons must be made on a common scale of time.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
R. J. Soare, S. J. Conway, J-P Williams, A. J. Hepburn
Summary: This passage discusses the cyclical glacial and periglacial activities on Mars, focusing on specific terrain features and revealing the roles of glaciation and freeze-thaw cycles in the geological history of Mars.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy A. Goudge, Alexander M. Morgan, Gaia Stucky de Quay, Caleb Fassett
Summary: Lake breach flooding on early Mars significantly eroded a quarter of incised valleys, impacting the Martian landscape. The global importance of these floods in shaping valley systems highlights their role in the broader landscape evolution of Mars.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
R. J. Soare, J-P Williams, A. J. Hepburn, F. E. G. Butcher
Summary: This study examines ancient geomorphic features in the Protonilus Mensae region of Mars, including continuous coverage of circular structures and polygon structures, as well as stratigraphic features intertwined with glacial and periglacial cycles. The results suggest that the cold climate geology on Mars may be more similar to Earth's than previously thought.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
R. J. Soare, S. J. Conway, J-P Williams, M. Philippe, L. E. Mc Keown, E. Godin, J. Hawkswell
Summary: Ice complexes are common landscapes in Arctic coastal plains on Earth, formed by freeze-thaw cycling of water and characterized by features like thermokarst terrain, lakes, basins, and ice-wedge polygons. The hypothesis of ice-rich terrain on Mars remains unvalidated due to lack of regolith samples. The similarities between ice and sand-wedge polygons on Mars have complicated the understanding of ice-wedge hypotheses.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
G. M. Martinez, E. Sebastian, A. Vicente-Retortillo, M. D. Smith, J. R. Johnson, E. Fischer, H. Savijarvi, D. Toledo, R. Hueso, L. Mora-Sotomayor, H. Gillespie, A. Munguira, A. Sanchez-Lavega, M. T. Lemmon, F. Gomez, J. Polkko, L. Mandon, V. Apestigue, I. Arruego, M. Ramos, P. Conrad, C. E. Newman, M. de la Torre-Juarez, F. Jordan, L. K. Tamppari, T. H. McConnochie, A. -M. Harri, M. Genzer, M. Hieta, M. -P. Zorzano, M. Siegler, O. Prieto, A. Molina, J. A. Rodriguez-Manfredi
Summary: The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on board Perseverance includes first-of-its-kind sensors to measure various radiation fluxes on Mars surface. Using these measurements and ground temperature data, the study determines the radiative budget and broadband albedo of Mars, as well as calculates the thermal inertia of homogeneous terrains. The study also compares the results with other measurements to validate model predictions and provide ground-truth data.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Shannon M. Hibbard, Nathan R. Williams, Matthew P. Golombek, Gordon R. Osinski, Etienne Godin
Summary: Viscous flow features, including lobate debris aprons and lineated valley fill, are common ice-related features found across the mid-latitudes of Mars. The sinuous and lobate features in Arcadia Planitia are believed to be buried debris-covered glaciers formed during higher obliquity periods in Mars' recent past. These features appear to be channelized ice that once flowed but currently reside in a flat-lying region.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
L. H. Lark, C. Huber, J. W. Head
Summary: Recurring slope lineae (RSL) on Mars are dark linear features that lengthen and fade seasonally. The role of water in their formation processes is still uncertain. Observations of anomalous RSL suggest a preference for the liquid flow mechanism over dry granular flow for their growth.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaoguang Qin, Xin Ren, Xu Wang, Jianjun Liu, Haibin Wu, Xingguo Zeng, Yong Sun, Zhaopeng Chen, Shihao Zhang, Yizhong Zhang, Wangli Chen, Bin Liu, Dawei Liu, Lin Guo, Kangkang Li, Xiangzhao Zeng, Hai Huang, Qing Zhang, Songzheng Yu, Chunlai Li, Zhengtang Guo
Summary: Landforms on the Martian surface provide valuable insights into past surface processes, but the modern hydroclimatic conditions on Mars are still not well understood. This study reports the discovery of various surface features on salt-rich dunes in southern Utopia Planitia, suggesting the involvement of saline water from thawed frost/snow as the most likely cause. The findings shed light on the more humid conditions of the modern Martian climate and have important implications for future exploration missions searching for signs of extant life.
Article
Spectroscopy
Ryan B. Anderson, Olivier Forni, Agnes Cousin, Roger C. Wiens, Samuel M. Clegg, Jens Frydenvang, Travis S. J. Gabriel, Ann Ollila, Susanne Schroder, Olivier Beyssac, Erin Gibbons, David S. Vogt, Elise Clave, Jose-Antonio Manrique, Carey Legett, Paolo Pilleri, Raymond T. Newell, Joseph Sarrao, Sylvestre Maurice, Gorka Arana, Karim Benzerara, Pernelle Bernardi, Sylvain Bernard, Bruno Bousquet, Adrian J. Brown, Cesar Alvarez-Llamas, Baptiste Chide, Edward Cloutis, Jade Comellas, Stephanie Connell, Erwin Dehouck, Dorothea M. Delapp, Ari Essunfeld, Cecile Fabre, Thierry Fouchet, Cristina Garcia-Florentino, Laura Garcia-Gomez, Patrick Gasda, Olivier Gasnault, Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Nina L. Lanza, Javier Laserna, Jeremie Lasue, Guillermo Lopez, Juan Manuel Madariaga, Lucia Mandon, Nicolas Mangold, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Anthony E. Nelson, Horton Newsom, Adriana L. Reyes-Newell, Scott Robinson, Fernando Rull, Shiv Sharma, Justin Simon, Pablo Sobron, Imanol Torre Fernandez, Arya Udry, Dawn Venhaus, Scott M. McLennan, Richard Morris, Bethany Ehlmann
Summary: The SuperCam instrument on the Perseverance rover uses laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to analyze the chemical composition of targets on Mars. Preprocessing and optimization models are applied to achieve accurate quantitative results.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Erwin Dehouck, Agnes Cousin, Nicolas Mangold, Jens Frydenvang, Olivier Gasnault, Olivier Forni, William Rapin, Patrick J. Gasda, Gwenael Caravaca, Gael David, Candice C. Bedford, Jeremie Lasue, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Kristin Rammelkamp, Marine Desjardins, Stephane Le Mouelic, Michael T. Thorpe, Valerie K. Fox, Kristen A. Bennett, Alexander B. Bryk, Nina L. Lanza, Sylvestre Maurice, Roger C. Wiens
Summary: Glen Torridon is a topographic trough on Mars with relatively strong spectral signatures of clay minerals. The Curiosity rover explored the area for over 700 Martian days to understand the geologic context of clay mineral formation and determine the intensity of aqueous alteration. Analysis of the bedrock's major-element geochemistry reveals distinct chemical compositions and mineralogical interpretations. Overall, the alteration in Glen Torridon shows elevated Chemical Index of Alteration values, suggesting the formation of clay minerals through open-system weathering.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Maxime Pineau, Maximilien Mathian, Fabien Baron, Benjamin Rondeau, Laetitia Le Deit, Thierry Allard, Nicolas Mangold
Summary: Kaolinite is a common aluminum-rich phyllosilicate mineral observed on Earth and Mars. The near-infrared (NIR) spectral signature of kaolinite can be used to estimate its crystallinity and geological origin. Variations in crystallinity affect the position and shape of the NIR spectral features of kaolinite, which can be analyzed using high-resolution spectra to determine the crystallinity and origin of kaolinite on both Earth and Mars.
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Gwenael Caravaca, Nicolas Mangold, Erwin Dehouck, Juergen Schieber, Louis Zaugg, Alexander B. Bryk, Christopher M. Fedo, Stephane Le Mouelic, Laetitia Le Deit, Steven G. Banham, Sanjeev Gupta, Agnes Cousin, William Rapin, Olivier Gasnault, Frances Rivera-Hernandez, Roger C. Wiens, Nina L. Lanza
Summary: This study in the Glen Torridon region of Gale Crater on Mars examines the geological and geochemical data from the Jura and Knockfarril Hill members, revealing a transition from lacustrine to fluvial environment and the associated changes in sediment composition.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
G. David, E. Dehouck, P-Y Meslin, W. Rapin, A. Cousin, O. Forni, O. Gasnault, J. Lasue, N. Mangold, P. Beck, S. Maurice, R. C. Wiens, G. Berger, S. Fabre, P. Pinet, B. C. Clark, J. R. Smith, N. L. Lanza
Summary: Understanding the genesis of Martian soils is crucial for understanding the planet's hydrogeologic history. Analyzing the composition and formation of the soils can provide insights into the ancient environmental conditions. This study used the ChemCam instrument to investigate the nature and origin of hydrated amorphous phases in Martian soils, and found clues for the presence of sulfates. The results suggest that sulfates are the main carriers of soil hydration and may explain the hydrogen and sulfur measurements from orbit.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Harish, K. B. Kimi, S. Tuhi, S. Baliyan, N. Mangold, S. Vijayan, M. R. El-Maarry
Summary: We surveyed the subsurface structure along Cerberus Fossae using data from SHARAD, HiRISE, and CRISM onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Our analysis revealed meter-scale stratigraphy and identified three distinct vertical units: a regolith cover, a thickly layered unit, and a massive unit dominated by boulders. We also found a subsurface reflector and determined the properties of the shallow subsurface material, indicating the presence of thick, dense basaltic material along Cerberus Fossae. The study further suggests the age of the subsurface material and disproves the hypothesis of a sea of frozen water.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
A. Guimpier, S. J. Conway, M. Pajola, A. Lucchetti, E. Simioni, C. Re, A. Noblet, N. Mangold, N. Thomas, G. Cremonese
Summary: Planview detailed morphological analysis of martian landslides is usually performed using orbital imagery. However, topographic information is key to fully understand a landslide's formation mechanism and its mobility. This study explores the use of CaSSIS data to estimate the volume and distribution of erosion and deposition of a Martian landslide. The results show that CaSSIS data can be used successfully for landslide analysis, providing additional DEM coverage.
PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Y. Liu, M. M. Tice, M. E. Schmidt, A. H. Treiman, T. V. Kizovski, J. A. Hurowitz, A. C. Allwood, J. Henneke, D. A. K. Pedersen, S. J. VanBommel, M. W. M. Jones, A. L. Knight, B. J. Orenstein, B. C. Clark, W. T. Elam, C. M. Heirwegh, T. Barber, L. W. Beegle, K. Benzerara, S. Bernard, O. Beyssac, T. Bosak, A. J. Brown, E. L. Cardarelli, D. C. Catling, J. R. Christian, E. A. Cloutis, B. A. Cohen, S. Davidoff, A. G. Fairen, K. A. Farley, D. T. Flannery, A. Galvin, J. P. Grotzinger, S. Gupta, J. Hall, C. D. K. Herd, K. Hickman-Lewis, R. P. Hodyss, B. H. N. Horgan, J. R. Johnson, J. L. Jorgensen, L. C. Kah, J. N. Maki, L. Mandon, N. Mangold, F. M. McCubbin, S. M. McLennan, K. Moore, M. Nachon, P. Nemere, L. D. Nothdurft, J. I. Nunez, L. O'Neil, C. M. Quantin-Nataf, V. Sautter, D. L. Shuster, K. L. Siebach, J. I. Simon, K. P. Sinclair, K. M. Stack, A. Steele, J. D. Tarnas, N. J. Tosca, K. Uckert, A. Udry, L. A. Wade, B. P. Weiss, R. C. Wiens, K. H. Williford, M. -P. Zorzano
Summary: This study conducted a petrographic analysis of the Seitah formation in Jezero crater on Mars using multispectral images and x-ray fluorescence data. The results show that the rocks in this formation are mainly composed of coarse-grained olivine, suggesting they may be olivine cumulate.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. A. Farley, K. M. Stack, D. L. Shuster, B. H. N. Horgan, J. A. Hurowitz, J. D. Tarnas, J. I. Simon, V. Z. Sun, E. L. Scheller, K. R. Moore, S. M. McLennan, P. M. Vasconcelos, R. C. Wiens, A. H. Treiman, L. E. Mayhew, O. Beyssac, T. V. Kizovski, N. J. Tosca, K. H. Williford, L. S. Crumpler, L. W. Beegle, J. F. Bell, B. L. Ehlmann, Y. Liu, J. N. Maki, M. E. Schmidt, A. C. Allwood, H. E. F. Amundsen, R. Bhartia, T. Bosak, A. J. Brown, B. C. Clark, A. Cousin, O. Forni, T. S. J. Gabriel, Y. Goreva, S. Gupta, S. -E. Hamran, C. D. K. Herd, K. Hickman-Lewis, J. R. Johnson, L. C. Kah, P. B. Kelemen, K. B. Kinch, L. Mandon, N. Mangold, C. Quantin-Nataf, M. S. Rice, P. S. Russell, S. Sharma, S. Siljestrom, A. Steele, R. Sullivan, M. Wadhwa, B. P. Weiss, A. J. Williams, B. V. Wogsland, P. A. Willis, T. A. Acosta-Maeda, P. Beck, K. Benzerara, S. Bernard, A. S. Burton, E. L. Cardarelli, B. Chide, E. Clave, E. A. Cloutis, B. A. Cohen, A. D. Czaja, V. Debaille, E. Dehouck, A. G. Fairen, D. T. Flannery, S. Z. Fleron, T. Fouchet, J. Frydenvang, B. J. Garczynski, E. F. Gibbons, E. M. Hausrath, A. G. Hayes, J. Henneke, J. L. Jorgensen, E. M. Kelly, J. Lasue, S. Le Mouelic, J. M. Madariaga, S. Maurice, M. Merusi, P. -Y. Meslin, S. M. Milkovich, C. C. Million, R. C. Moeller, J. I. Nunez, A. M. Ollila, G. Paar, D. A. Paige, D. A. K. Pedersen, P. Pilleri, C. Pilorget, P. C. Pinet, J. W. Rice, C. Royer, V. Sautter, M. Schulte, M. A. Sephton, S. K. Sharma, S. F. Sholes, N. Spanovich, M. St. Clair, C. D. Tate, K. Uckert, S. J. VanBommel, A. G. Yanchilina, M. -P. Zorzano
Summary: The Perseverance rover has discovered water-altered igneous rocks in the Jezero crater on Mars and found evidence of brine evaporation in the core samples. These samples may be brought back to Earth for further research.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Michael J. Malaska, Ashley Schoenfeld, J. Judson Wynne, Karl L. Mitchell, Oliver White, Alan Howard, Jeffrey Moore, Orkan Umurhan
Summary: This study proposes that cycling hydrocarbon rains on Saturn's moon Titan may create subsurface conduits through dissolution geology. Various terrains and locations on Titan that could potentially host caves or access points are identified and enumerated using data from the Cassini spacecraft. The survey suggests over 21,000 estimated locations for future exploration to study cave forming processes, as well as the climate and chemical deposition history on Titan.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
James T. Haber, Briony Horgan, Abigail A. Fraeman, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Jim F. Bell, Melissa S. Rice, Christina Seeger, Nicolas Mangold, Lucy Thompson, Danika Wellington, Ed Cloutis, Samantha Jacob
Summary: The study uses Mastcam multispectral data to investigate the mineralogy of the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation in Gale crater, suggesting a complex history of deposition and diagenesis that may be crucial for understanding changing water-rock interactions within the crater.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roger C. Wiens, Arya Udry, Olivier Beyssac, Cathy Quantin-Nataf, Nicolas Mangold, Agnes Cousin, Lucia Mandon, Tanja Bosak, Olivier Forni, Scott M. McLennan, Violaine Sautter, Adrian Brown, Karim Benzerara, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Lisa Mayhew, Sylvestre Maurice, Ryan B. Anderson, Samuel M. Clegg, Larry Crumpler, Travis S. J. Gabriel, Patrick Gasda, James Hall, Briony H. N. Horgan, Linda Kah, Carey Legett, Juan Manuel Madariaga, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Ann M. Ollila, Francois Poulet, Clement Royer, Shiv K. Sharma, Sandra Siljestrom, Justin Simon, Tayro E. Acosta-Maeda, Cesar Alvarez-Llamas, S. Michael Angel, Gorka Arana, Pierre Beck, Sylvain Bernard, Tanguy Bertrand, Bruno Bousquet, Kepa Castro, Baptiste Chide, Elise Clave, Ed Cloutis, Stephanie Connell, Erwin Dehouck, Gilles Dromart, Woodward Fischer, Thierry Fouchet, Raymond Francis, Jens Frydenvang, Olivier Gasnault, Erin Gibbons, Sanjeev Gupta, Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Xavier Jacob, Hemani Kalucha, Evan Kelly, Elise Knutsen, Nina Lanza, Javier Laserna, Jeremie Lasue, Stephane Le Mouelic, Richard Leveille, Guillermo Lopez Reyes, Ralph Lorenz, Jose Antonio Manrique, Jesus Martinez-Frias, Tim McConnochie, Noureddine Melikechi, David Mimoun, Franck Montmessin, Javier Moros, Naomi Murdoch, Paolo Pilleri, Cedric Pilorget, Patrick Pinet, William Rapin, Fernando Rull, Susanne Schroder, David L. Shuster, Rebecca J. Smith, Alexander E. Stott, Jesse Tarnas, Nathalie Turenne, Marco Veneranda, David S. Vogt, Benjamin P. Weiss, Peter Willis, Kathryn M. Stack, Kenneth H. Williford, Kenneth A. Farley
Summary: The study reveals that the subsurface of Jezero crater is primarily composed of volcanic and intrusive terrains with compositional and density stratification. Basaltic rocks with higher plagioclase content are found in higher stratigraphic locations, while layered rocks with more normative pyroxene are found in lower stratigraphic layers. The lowest observed unit with the highest inferred density is olivine-rich and shows characteristics of cumulate origin. The presence of alteration materials suggests relatively brief lacustrine conditions. Orbital observations connect the lithology of the Jezero floor to the broader Nili-Syrtis region, indicating regional density-driven compositional stratification.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Francesco Sauro, Samuel J. Payler, Matteo Massironi, Riccardo Pozzobon, Harald Hiesinger, Nicolas Mangold, Charles S. Cockell, Jesus Martinez Frias, Kare Kullerud, Leonardo Turchi, Igor Drozdovskiy, Loredana Bessone
Summary: Future human missions to the Moon and Mars require astronauts to have scientific expertise in geological and astrobiological planetary exploration. PANGAEA, a field training course developed by the European Space Agency, aims to provide astronauts with essential theoretical and practical knowledge in geology and astrobiology. The course integrates classroom and field lessons to enhance trainees' skills in scientific decision-making, working with remote science teams, and efficient documentation.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. S. Zaki, K. S. Edgett, M. Pajola, E. Kite, J. M. Davis, N. Mangold, A. S. Madof, A. Lucchetti, P. Grindrod, C. M. Hughes, K. Sangwan, N. Thomas, M. Schuster, S. Gupta, G. Cremonese, S. Castelltort
Summary: This study reconstructs the history of fluvial systems in the Antoniadi crater on Mars, revealing that there were four intermittent active periods during the Late Noachian to Early Amazonian, resulting in at least two major lakes. The morphologies of interconnected fluvial systems and lake variations suggest episodic precipitation-induced surface runoff, along with intermittent catastrophic floods that breached crater-lake rims. These findings provide important insights into the frequency, duration, and hydro-climatic context of early Mars.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. Udry, A. Ostwald, V. Sautter, A. Cousin, R. C. Wiens, O. Forni, K. Benzerara, O. Beyssac, M. Nachon, G. Dromart, C. Quantin, L. Mandon, E. Clave, P. Pinet, A. Ollila, T. Bosak, N. Mangold, E. Dehouck, J. Johnson, M. Schmidt, B. Horgan, T. Gabriel, S. McLennan, S. Maurice, J. I. Simon, C. D. K. Herd, J. M. Madiaraga, A. Brown, S. Connell, D. Flannery, N. Tosca, B. Cohen, Y. Liu, F. M. McCubbin, E. Cloutis, T. Fouchet, C. Royer, S. Alwmark, S. Sharma, R. Anderson, P. Pilleri
METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maria Angeles Lopez-Cayuela, Maria-Paz Zorzano, Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado, Carmen Cordoba-Jabonero
Summary: The atmospheric dust cycle on Mars plays a dominant role in the planetary radiative balance, atmospheric photochemistry escape, and redistribution of materials on the surface. A methodology is presented to accurately describe the annual dust redistribution cycle on Mars using orbital global and seasonal measurements of atmospheric dust opacity. The analysis shows that approximately 4 trillion kilograms of dust is transported globally in the atmosphere during a typical Mars year.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Audrey Vorburger, Shahab Fatemi, Shane R. Carberry Mogan, Andre Galli, Lucas Liuzzo, Andrew R. Poppe, Lorenz Roth, Peter Wurz
Summary: The study presents new model results for the composition of Ganymede's atmosphere, finding that sublimation remains the major source process for H2O, while radiolysis induced by auroral electrons dominates the source fluxes for O2 and H2.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Qi He, Zhi Cao, Yuqi Qian, Hejiu Hui, Ioannis Baziotis, Long Xiao, Zaicong Wang, Biji Luo, Yiheng Li, Zongjun Ying, Yang Li
Summary: The Chang'e-5 mission collected lunar soil containing magnesian troctolitic granulites, which provide valuable information on the composition of the lunar crust. Through analysis and modeling, it is suggested that these granulites may have originated from the Pythagoras crater and were transported to the landing site.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jordan M. Bretzfelder, Kathryn M. Stack, Abigail A. Fraeman, Mackenzie Day, William E. Dietrich, Alexander B. Bryk
Summary: This study investigates the development of bedrock ridges on Mars and their implications for wind history, deposition, and erosion in Gale crater.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lot Ram, Diptiranjan Rout, Rahul Rathi, Paul Withers, Sumanta Sarkhel
Summary: This study investigates the impacts of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) on the Martian ionosphere, specifically the behavior of the ionospheric peak density and height during ICME passages. The study used observations from the Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE) aboard the MAVEN spacecraft and selected 8 ICMEs from existing catalogs. The results show that ICMEs lead to an elevation of the ionospheric peak height and a decrease in peak density, and propose that vertical pressure gradient and electron temperature enhancement are plausible causes for ionospheric variability.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Benoit Jabaud, Riccardo Artoni, Gabriel Tobie, Erwan Le Menn, Patrick Richard
Summary: The Cassini spacecraft discovered active jets of water vapour and ice grains at the South Pole of Enceladus, resulting in the deposit of freshly erupted materials on the moon's icy surface. Similar processes may be happening on Europa as well. Determining the mechanical properties of fresh icy powder-like materials is essential for future landing and sampling missions. The flowability and surface energy of ice powders decrease with increasing temperatures, which may have implications for stable landing and the flow of ice materials on Enceladus and Europa.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lydie Bonal, Eric Quirico, Gilles Montagnac, Mutsumi Komatsu, Yoko Kebukawa, Hikaru Yabuta, Kana Amano, Jens Barosch, Laure Bejach, George D. Cody, Emmanuel Dartois, Alexandre Dazzi, Bradley De Gregorio, Ariane Deniset-Besseau, Jean Duprat, Cecile Engrand, Minako Hashiguchi, Kanami Kamide, David Kilcoyne, Zita Martins, Jeremie Mathurin, Smail Mostefaoui, Larry Nittler, Takuji Ohigashi, Taiga Okumura, Laurent Remusat, Scott Sandford, Miho Shigenaka, Rhonda Stroud, Hiroki Suga, Yoshio Takahashi, Yasuo Takeichi, Yusuke Tamenori, Maximilien Verdier-Paoletti, Shohei Yamashita, Tomoki Nakamura, Hiroshi Naraoka, Takaaki Noguchi, Ryuji Okazaki, Hisayoshi Yurimoto, Shogo Tachibana, Masanao Abe, Akiko Miyazaki, Aiko Nakato, Satoru Nakazawa, Masahiro Nishimura, Tatsuaki Okada, Takanao Saiki, Kanako Sakamoto, Satoshi Tanaka, Fuyuto Terui, Yuichi Tsuda, Tomohiro Usui, Sei-ichiro Watanabe, Toru Yada, Kasumi Yogata, Makota Yoshikawa
Summary: This paper focuses on characterizing the thermal history of asteroid Ryugu by studying the structure of polyaromatic carbonaceous matter in the returned samples. The study finds that there is no structural difference in the polyaromatic component between the two sampling sites on Ryugu, indicating that the thermal metamorphism related to radioactive decay was not significant. However, some structural variability is observed within the particle set.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
M. Luginin, A. Fedorova, D. Belyaev, F. Montmessin, O. Korablev, J. -l. Bertaux
Summary: Spectroscopic solar occultation measurements by the SPICAV/SOIR instrument onboard the Venus Express orbiter provided new data on the upper haze aerosol properties, its distribution, and variations. A joint analysis of data from two spectrometers revealed a bimodal distribution in about 50% of observations previously believed to be unimodal, and characterized the size distribution 10 km higher in the atmosphere compared to previous analysis.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
A. Mahieux, S. Viscardy, K. L. Jessup, F. P. Mills, L. Trompet, S. Robert, S. Aoki, A. Piccialli, A. C. Vandaele
Summary: We report on the mean upper limit number densities and volume concentrations of H2CO, O-3, NH3, HCN, N2O, NO2, NO, and HO2 at the Venus terminator above the cloud layer. Attempts to detect these species using a statistical algorithm and the method presented by Trompet et al. (2021) were unsuccessful, and upper limits of detection are provided.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
P. M. Streeter, S. R. Lewis, M. R. Patel, J. A. Holmes, K. Rajendran
Summary: The northern polar vortex on Mars shows a high degree of interannual repeatability in its structure and evolution, except during large dust storms. The seasonal timing of these storms seems to be the key factor determining their impacts on the polar vortex.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael T. Mellon, Hanna G. Sizemore, Jennifer L. Heldmann, Christopher P. McKay, Carol R. Stoker
Summary: The search for life is a major focus of Mars exploration, with temperature and water activity being key factors for habitability. The most recent habitable conditions occurred about 510 kyrs ago and lasted for about 10s of kyrs each occurrence. All latitudes offer potential for life exploration, but middle-latitude sites have access to 100-kyr-old ice that experienced past habitable conditions, while high-latitude sites offer access to ancient ice over 1 Myrs old.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Anthony Ozerov, Jeffrey C. Smith, Jessie L. Dotson, Randolph S. Longenbaugh, Robert L. Morris
Summary: The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instruments, with their large combined field of view, are useful for studying the population of atmospheric phenomena like bolides. However, there are biases when using GLM for non-lightning purposes, which need to be studied and accounted for before precise measurements of bolide flux can be obtained. A Bayesian Poisson regression model was developed to estimate instrumental biases and the latitudinal variation of bolide flux concurrently. The estimated bias corresponds to the known sensitivity of the GLM instruments, and the latitudinal flux variation estimates are consistent with a strong bias towards high-velocity bolides, as compared to existing theoretical models.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
P. Beck, P. Y. Meslin, A. Fau, O. Forni, O. Gasnault, J. Lasue, A. Cousin, S. Schroeder, S. Maurice, W. Rapin, R. C. Wiens, A. M. Ollila, E. Dehouck, N. Mangold, B. Garcia, S. Schwartz, W. Goetz, N. Lanza
Summary: Analysis of data obtained by ChemCam on Mars reveals that the carbon signal is mainly related to ionization of the atmosphere, with variability potentially linked to the physical state of the atmosphere. Up to sol 3355, no carbonate was detected in the ChemCam dataset, suggesting that it is not a major constituent (>50%) in the analyzed targets and that carbon in soils is not enriched beyond the limit of detection. The dominant salts found in Gale are sulfate and chlorides, while the absence of carbonates, seen in Jezero, may be due to differences in protolith.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Eloy Pena-Asensio, Jaakko Visuri, Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez, Hector Socas-Navarro, Maria Gritsevich, Markku Siljama, Albert Rimola
Summary: The observation of interstellar objects 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov suggests the existence of a larger population of smaller projectiles that impact our planet with unbound orbits. A statistical evaluation of uncertainties in the CNEOS database and study of its hyperbolic fireballs reveals an anisotropic geocentric radiant distribution and low orbital inclinations, challenging the assumption of a randomly incoming interstellar population. These findings suggest that apparent interstellar meteors may, in fact, be the result of accelerated meteoroid impacts caused by close encounters with massive objects within or passing through our solar system.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cecilia W. S. Leung, Leslie K. Tamppari, David M. Kass, German Martinez, Erik Fischer, Michael D. Smith
Summary: Using a combination of orbital and surface observations, this study investigates the vertical distribution of water vapor in the lower atmospheres of Mars. The findings suggest that the assumption of uniformly mixed water vapor in the boundary layer is not always consistent with observational constraints. The results provide important insights into the seasonal transport of water and the role of regolith-atmospheric exchange.
