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NASA TECHNICAL NASA TM X-3511 MEMORANDUM CO >< CASE FIL COPY REPORTS OF PLANETARY GEOLOGY PROGRAM, 1976-1977 Compiled by Raymond Arvidson and Russell Wahmann Office of Space Science NASA Headquarters NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION • WASHINGTON, D. C. • MAY 1977 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. TMX3511 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date May 1977 6. Performing Organization Code REPORTS OF PLANETARY GEOLOGY PROGRAM, 1976-1977 SL 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Compiled by Raymond Arvidson and Russell Wahmann 10. Work Unit No. 9. Performing Organization Name and Address Office of Space Science 11. Contract or Grant No. Lunar and Planetary Programs Planetary Geology Program 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Technical Memorandum National Aeronautics and Space Administration 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, D.C. 20546 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract A compilation of abstracts of reports which summarizes work conducted by Principal Investigators. Full reports of these abstracts were presented to the annual meeting of Planetary Geology Principal Investigators and their associates at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, May 23-26, 1977. 17. Key Words (Suggested by Author(s)) 18. Distribution Statement Planetary geology Solar system evolution Unclassified—Unlimited Planetary geological mapping Instrument development 19. Security Qassif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price* Unclassified Unclassified 294 $9.25 * For sale by the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 FOREWORD This is a compilation of abstracts of reports from Principal Investigators of NASA's Office of Space Science, Division of Lunar and Planetary Programs Planetary Geology Program. The purpose is to provide a document which succinctly summarizes work conducted in this program. Each report reflects significant accomplish- ments within the area of the author's funded grant or contract. No attempt has been made to introduce editorial or stylistic uniform- ity; on the contrary, the style of each report is that of the Principal Investigator and niay best portray his research. Bibliography information will be included in a separately published document. Full reports of selected abstracts were presented to the annual meeting of Planetary Geology Principal Investigators at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, May 23-26, 1977. S. E. Dwornik R. Wahmann Chief Staff Scientist Planetary Geology Program Planetary Geology Program CONTENTS Page Foreword iii CHAPTER 1-CONSTRAINTS ON SOLAR SYSTEM FORMATION 1 The Formation of the Planetary System 3 H. Alfven and D. A. Mendis Computer Simulations of Planetary Accretion Dynamics: Sensitivity to Initial Conditions 6 Richard Isaacman and Carl Sagan Composition of the Terrestrial Planets 7 Kenneth A. Goettel The Role of Pre-Solar Grains in the Early Solar System : . 11 C. Federico, A. Coradini, and G. Magni Ice Grains in Space 13 R. Smoluchowski CHAPTER 2-CONSTRAINTS ON PLANETARY INTERIORS 15 Properties of Giant Gaseous Protoplanets 17 A. G. W. Cameron Heat, Stretch and Erupt: The Relationships Among Global Thermal Evolution, Crustal Tectonics and Surface Volcanism on the Terrestrial Planets 20 Sean C. Solomon The Rigid Hard Crusts of the Moon, Mars, Mercury and Venus: Implications for the Role of Water in Crustal Mobility of Earth 22 G. G. Schaber andJ. M. Boyce Mercury: Evidence for an Anorthositic Crust From Reflectance Spectra 24 /. B. Adams and T. B. McCord Data Analysis of Mariner 10 Magnetic Field Observations at Mercury and Venus . 25 Norman F. Ness A Spin-Orbit Constraint on the Viscosity of a Mercurian Liquid Core 27 S. J. Peale.andA. P. Boss Mercury's Core: The Effect of Obliquity on the Spin-Orbit Constraints 29 S. J. Peale and A. P. Boss Thermal History of Lunar Magma Ocean 31 Floyd Herbert, Michael J. Drake, Charles P. Sonett, and Michael J. Wiskerchen Tharsis: Static or Dynamic Support? 34 Roger J. Phillips CHAPTER 3-PHOTOGEOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON PLANETARY EVOLUTION 37 Comparative Studies of the Moon, Mercury and Mars 39 Verne R. Oberbeck Ancient Surfaces of the Terrestrial Planets 42 Michael C. Matin Origin and Relative Age of Lunar and Mercurian Intercrater Plains 44 R. G. Strom Relative Ages of Mercurian Plains 47 Laurence A. Soderblom Tectonism and Volcanism on Mercury: Inferences From Morphologic and Photo- metric Studies 49 Daniel Dzurisin Global Tectonics of Mercury 51 B. M. Cordell Preliminary Results of Structural Lineament Pattern Analysis of Mercury 54 Philippe Masson and Pierre Thomas Correlations: Martian Stratigraphy and Crater Density 56 D. H. Scott and C. D. Condit Timing of Deformational Events in the Northern Tharsis Bulge of Mars 59 D. U. Wise Venus Radar Imaging and Geologic Interpretation 61 R. Sounders, M. Matin, R. Goldstein, R. Green, and H. Rumsey Fracture Domains of Italy-Analogue Study of Brittle Crustal Behavior in a Volcanic-Tectonic Region 62 D. Wise, R. Funiciello, M. Parotto, and F. Salvini CHAPTER 4-ASTEROIDS, COMETS, AND MOONS 63 The Constitution of Cometary Nuclei 65 Fred L. Whipple Orbit Determination of Nearly-Parabolic Comets and Conclusions Concerning the Oort Comet Cloud 68 Brian G. Marsden A New Model for the Split Comets 70 Zdenek Sekanina Asteroid Fragmentation Processes and Collisional Evolution 72 Clark R. Chapman, Donald R. Davis, and Richard Greenberg Present Impact Cratering Rates on the Terrestrial Planets and the Moon 74 Eugene M. Shoemaker and Eleanor F. Helin A Quantitative Comparison of the Surface Roughness of Phobos and Deimos ... 78 P. Thomas and J. Veverka CHAPTER 5-CRATERING AS A PROCESS, LANDFORM, AND DATING METHOD .... 79 Lunar and Martian Cratering Studies, and Mars Mariner 9 Geologic Mapping .... 81 G. Neukum, H. Fechtig, Beate Konig, K. Hitter, and D. U. Wise Page Rayed Craters on the Moon and Mercury 85 Carlton C. Allen Large Impact-Crater Production in the Inner Solar System 87 A. Woronow The Effect of Nongravitational Factors on the Shape of Martian, Lunar and Mercurian Craters: Target Effects 91 Eugene I. Smith and Jill Ann Hartnell Interplanetary Comparisons of Fresh Crater Morphology: Preliminary Results ... 94 MarkJ. Cintala, Charles A. Wood, James W. Head, and Thomas A. Mutch Crater Evolutionary Tracks 97 Gerald Schubert, Richard E. Lingenfelter, and Richard J. Terrile Degradation Trends of Mercurian Craters and Correlation With the Moon 100 Charles A. Wood, James W. Head, and Mark J. Cintala Formation and Obliteration of Large Craters on the Terrestrial Planets 103 Clark R. Chapman Morphological Characterization of the Mercury Large Craters: Statistical Behaviour of the Craters in HI, H6,H7,H8, HI 1 and HI 5 Quadrangles 105 A. Carusi, M. Fulchignoni, M. Poscolieri, and R. Casacchia Crater and Block Populations at the Viking 1 Landing Site 108 R. Arvidson and E. Guinness Multi-Ringed Basins: A Model for Formation in Multi-Layered Media Ill R. A. De Hon MuJti-Planet, Multi-Ring Basin Studies 113 John F. McCauley Global Seismic Effects on Basin-Forming Impacts 115 H. Grady Hughes, Frederick N. App, and Thomas R. McGetchin Gravity Effects on Impact Crater Formation 116 Donald E. Gault and John A. Wedekind Ballistic Impact Ejecta in a Martian Atmosphere 117 Peter H. Schultz and Donald E. Gault Bunte Breccia: Continuous Breccia Deposits of the Ries Crater, Germany 119 Fricdrich Horz and V. R. Oberbeck Magnetic Profiles Diagnostic of Maar Craters: Anomalies Associated With Peripheral Ring Dikes 122 L. S. Grumpier, Jayne C. Aubele, and Wolf gang E. Elston CHAPTER 6-VOLCANIC PROCESSES 127 Structure and Evolution of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii: I Inferences Based on Low Oblique Photography and Ground Investigations 129 Peter W. Lipman and John P. Lockwood Vll Page Frequency Distribution of Lava Tubes and Channels on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii 131 Ronald Greeley, Curtis Wilbur, and Donna Storm Controls of Physical Properties of Snake River Plain Lavas on Surface Morphologies 132 John F. Karlo and John S. King Lava Mounds Peripheral to the King's Bowl on the Great Rift, Idaho 134 John S. King, Ronald Papson, and Ronald Greeley Big Southern and East Buttes, Rhyolitic Domes on the Snake River Plain in Idaho . 136 Dallas B. Spear and John S. King A Study of the Tephra Deposits of Split Butte, A Maar Crater of the South-Central Snake River Plain, Idaho : . 13.7 Michael B. Womer, John S. King, and Ronald Greeley Intense Fumarolic Activity at a Silicic Volcanic Dome: The 1976 Eruptions at La Soufriere De Guadeloupe, F.W.I 138 Grant Heiken and Tom McGetchin CHAPTER 7-EOLIAN PROCESSES . 141 Fine Particles on the Surface of Mars 143 CarlSagan Sedimentary Regimes on Mars 144 R. Saunders . Recent Results From the Martian Surface Wind Tunnel (MARSWIT) 146 Ronald Greeley, J. B. Pollack, J. D. Iverson, and B. R. White Geologic, Topographic, and Meteorologjc Influences on Eolian Deposition, Earth and Mars 148 Alan D. Howard Experimental Modeling of Wind Erosion Forms 150 John F. McCauley, A. Wesley Ward, Carol S. Breed, Maurice J. Grolier, and Ronald Greeley Comparative Analysis of Fluvial Versus Aeolian Sources for Wind Deposits .... 153 Augustus S. Cotera and Camilla K. McCauley On the Nature and Visibility of Crater-Associated Streaks on Mars 155 /. Veverka, P. Thomas, and C. Sagan A Statistical Study of Ragged Dark Streaks in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars . 156 /. Veverka, J. Goguen, and K. Cook Crater Streaks in the Cryse Planitia Region of Mars: Early Viking Results ..... 157 Ronald Greeley ^Ronald Papson, and Joseph Veverka CHAPTER 8-FLUVIAL AND MASS WASTING PROCESSES 159 Evaporation of Ice-Choked Rivers: Application to Martian Channels 161 David Wallace and Carl Sagan Entrainment of Sediment by Fluid Flow on Mars 162 Dag Nummedal Page Martian Channels-Gassification by Morphology and Time of Formation 165 Harold Masursky, J. M. Boyce, A. L. Dial, G. G. Schaber, and M. E. Strobell Characterization of Erosional Forms on Mars by Fourier Analysis in Closed Form .