DOCSLIB.ORG

Volcanism and Tectonism Across the Inner Solar System: an Overview

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Volcanism and Tectonism Across the Inner Solar System: an Overview Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 27, 2021 Volcanism and tectonism across the inner solar system: an overview T. PLATZ1,2*, P. K. BYRNE3,4, M. MASSIRONI5 & H. HIESINGER6 1Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA 2Freie Universita¨t Berlin, Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences & Remote Sensing, Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany 3Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA 4Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305, USA 5Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Universita’ degli Studi di Padova, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy 6Institut fu¨r Planetologie, Westfa¨lische Wilhelms-Universita¨tMu¨nster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, 48149 Mu¨nster, Germany *Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract: Volcanism and tectonism are the dominant endogenic means by which planetary sur- faces change. This book, in general, and this overview, in particular, aim to encompass the broad range in character of volcanism, tectonism, faulting and associated interactions observed on plane- tary bodies across the inner solar system – a region that includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, Mars and asteroids. The diversity and breadth of landforms produced by volcanic and tectonic pro- cesses are enormous, and vary across the inventory of inner solar system bodies. As a result, the selection of prevailing landforms and their underlying formational processes that are described and highlighted in this review are but a primer to the expansive field of planetary volcanism and tectonism. In addition to this extended introductory contribution, this Special Publication features 21 dedicated research articles about volcanic and tectonic processes manifest across the inner solar system. Those articles are summarized at the end of this review. Volcanic and tectonic processes have profoundly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, divides our shaped the surfaces of terrestrial planets in the inner solar system into inner and outer portions, it itself solar system. Even minor bodies such as asteroids is composed of asteroidal and cometary objects of and small moons, where volcanism and tectonism which a large number enter the inner solar system. have not played dominant roles, are still affected Some asteroids have received attention as the result by fracturing and faulting as a result of other pro- of spacecraft flybys or orbital operations, and for cesses like dynamic loading and gravitational col- that reason are included briefly in this volume. lapse. This Special Publication aims to encompass In this Special Publication, the journey across the broad range in character of volcanism, tecton- the inner solar system begins at the planet closest to ism, faulting and associated interactions observed the Sun. From Mercury we move to Venus; Earth on planetary bodies across the inner solar system. and its Moon are next, before we move yet further By collating observations of the Earth and other out, to Mars. This celestial journey terminates at planetary bodies, the interpretations of extraterres- the main asteroid belt (Fig. 1). trial landforms and their formational processes are The first part of this introductory chapter high- appraised in the light of our current understanding lights the current knowledge of, and recent discov- of comparable processes on Earth. eries regarding, volcanic and tectonic features and The inner solar system comprises our star, the their formational processes on the Moon, Mars, Sun, and the four terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, Mercury and Venus. The second part is dedicated Earth and Mars, as well as Mars’ moons Phobos to summarizing the major conclusions of articles and Deimos, and Earth’s companion, the Moon presented in this volume. In its writing, we have (Fig. 1). Although the main asteroid belt, located sought not to compose a comprehensive review From:Platz, T., Massironi, M., Byrne,P.K.&Hiesinger, H. (eds) 2015. Volcanism and Tectonism Across the Inner Solar System. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 401, 1–56. First published online September 17, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP401.22 # The Geological Society of London 2015. Publishing disclaimer: www.geolsoc.org.uk/pub_ethics Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 27, 2021 2 T. PLATZ ET AL. Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 27, 2021 VOLCANISM AND TECTONISM ACROSS THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW 3 per se but, rather, to provide a detailed introduction Volcanism to the diversity of observed volcanic and tectonic processes present throughout the inner solar sys- The three flybys of Mercury by the Mariner 10 space- tem, from which the interested reader may explore craft in 1974–1975 returned images that raised the further – and farther. prospect of volcanism on the innermost planet. Smooth plains deposits were identified across the approximately 45% of the planet observed during Mercury that mission; some workers interpreted their large volumes, together with their embayment relation- Until very recently, Mercury (Fig. 1c) was the most ships with, and spectral distinctiveness from, sur- enigmatic of the inner solar system’s planets. Its rounding terrain, as evidence for a volcanic origin proximity to the Sun rendered telescopic obser- for these deposits (Murray et al. 1975; Strom et al. vations of Mercury from Earth difficult, and the 1975; Dzurisin 1978; Kiefer & Murray 1987; planet’s location in the Sun’s gravity well chal- Robinson & Lucey 1997). Yet, others argued that lenged mission designers. It was not until NASA’s Mercury’s smooth plains units were morphologi- Mariner 10 spacecraft flew past the planet in the cally similar to lunar highland plains, which were 1970s that the surface of Mercury was imaged shown to have been emplaced as fluidized ejecta directly for the first time and, even then, only a (Wilhelms 1976; Oberbeck et al. 1977). The pro- single hemisphere was observed. Those early data venance of smooth plains on Mercury therefore showed the planet’s surface to resemble superfi- remained unresolved until the three flybys of the cially that of the Moon, with ancient, cratered plains MESSENGER spacecraft in 2008–2009 (Fig. 1c). interspersed with expanses of younger smooth plains. Yet, unlike its larger terrestrial counterparts, Mercury does not have primary volcanic features, Smooth plains. MESSENGER imaged almost the such as the giant shield volcanoes that dominate entire surface of Mercury during its flybys, and the Tharsis province on Mars. The volcanic charac- showed the smooth plains to be a globally present ter of Mercury, therefore, remained an open ques- unit, the majority of which is volcanic in nature tion until the planet was visited by the MErcury (Fig. 2). This inference is based on superposition Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and relations indicative of the sequential embayment of Ranging (MESSENGER) mission. However, the impact basins and ejecta, as well as spectral homo- tectonics of Mercury were readily visible from the geneity but colour variation, partially buried impact outset of its exploration by spacecraft. Long, cliff- structures, and thicknesses of hundreds to thou- like escarpments were observed across the Mariner sands of metres (Head et al. 2008, 2009; Denevi 10 hemisphere, with wrinkle ridges akin to those et al. 2009). Observations made after MESSENGER in lunar maria populating the planet’s smooth plains entered orbit about the planet in March 2011 have units. Even so, the spatial extent, styles and amount allowed for the spatial extent of Mercury’s smooth of tectonic deformation of Mercury are questions plains to be quantified (Denevi et al. 2013): these that could only be fully explored from orbit. This plains are now known to occupy some 27% of the section describes the current state of knowledge of surface of Mercury (Fig. 2). Notably, the single Mercury’s volcanic and tectonic character, places largest contiguous smooth plains unit on the planet these findings in the context of how our understand- has been identified at high northern latitudes (Head ing of the innermost planet has evolved, and high- et al. 2011). Occupying around 6% of the total planet lights key aspects of the geological development surface, this region has been termed the northern of Mercury that have yet to be answered. volcanic plains (NVP) (Fig. 3a). Fig. 1. The principal components of the inner solar system include the four terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, as well as Earth’s moon and the two moons of Mars. The main asteroid belt separates the inner and outer portions of the solar system. On a yet smaller scale are objects that come close to Earth’s neighbourhood (on astronomical scales) or cross Earth’s orbit; these are collectively termed Near Earth Objects (NEO). At time of writing, there are 11 057 NEAs, of which 861 are larger than 1 km in diameter. (a) View of the inner solar system from above the ecliptic plane. The yellow dots denote Near Earth Asteroids; white triangles denote Near Earth Comets (courtesy of P. Chodas; 1 April 2014; NASA/JPL; http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov). (b) View of the inner solar system from the edge of the ecliptic plane. The orange line represents Jupiter’s orbit (courtesy of P. Chodas; 1 April 2014; NASA/JPL; http://neo. jpl.nasa.gov). (c) Enhanced colour mosaic of Mercury in orthographic projection centred at 08 (wide-angle camera of the Mercury Dual Imaging System; NASA/John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington). (d) Global view of Venus centred at 1808E (Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar Mosaic; NASA/JPL). (e) Nearside view of the Moon (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter wide-angle camera mosaic; NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University). (f) Global view of Mars centred at 208N, 3008E (Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic; NASA/JPL/USGS). 4 Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ T.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Planetary Geologic Mappers Annual Meeting
    Program Lunar and Planetary Institute 3600 Bay Area Boulevard Houston TX 77058-1113 Planetary Geologic Mappers Annual Meeting June 12–14, 2018 • Knoxville, Tennessee Institutional Support Lunar and Planetary Institute Universities Space Research Association Convener Devon Burr Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of Tennessee Knoxville Science Organizing Committee David Williams, Chair Arizona State University Devon Burr Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of Tennessee Knoxville Robert Jacobsen Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of Tennessee Knoxville Bradley Thomson Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of Tennessee Knoxville Abstracts for this meeting are available via the meeting website at https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pgm2018/ Abstracts can be cited as Author A. B. and Author C. D. (2018) Title of abstract. In Planetary Geologic Mappers Annual Meeting, Abstract #XXXX. LPI Contribution No. 2066, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston. Guide to Sessions Tuesday, June 12, 2018 9:00 a.m. Strong Hall Meeting Room Introduction and Mercury and Venus Maps 1:00 p.m. Strong Hall Meeting Room Mars Maps 5:30 p.m. Strong Hall Poster Area Poster Session: 2018 Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting Wednesday, June 13, 2018 8:30 a.m. Strong Hall Meeting Room GIS and Planetary Mapping Techniques and Lunar Maps 1:15 p.m. Strong Hall Meeting Room Asteroid, Dwarf Planet, and Outer Planet Satellite Maps Thursday, June 14, 2018 8:30 a.m. Strong Hall Optional Field Trip to Appalachian Mountains Program Tuesday, June 12, 2018 INTRODUCTION AND MERCURY AND VENUS MAPS 9:00 a.m. Strong Hall Meeting Room Chairs: David Williams Devon Burr 9:00 a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Rare Earth Elements in Planetary Crusts: Insights from Chemically Evolved Igneous Suites on Earth and the Moon
    minerals Article Rare Earth Elements in Planetary Crusts: Insights from Chemically Evolved Igneous Suites on Earth and the Moon Claire L. McLeod 1,* and Barry J. Shaulis 2 1 Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences, 203 Shideler Hall, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA 2 Department of Geosciences, Trace Element and Radiogenic Isotope Lab (TRaIL), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-513-529-9662 Received: 5 July 2018; Accepted: 8 October 2018; Published: 16 October 2018 Abstract: The abundance of the rare earth elements (REEs) in Earth’s crust has become the intense focus of study in recent years due to the increasing societal demand for REEs, their increasing utilization in modern-day technology, and the geopolitics associated with their global distribution. Within the context of chemically evolved igneous suites, 122 REE deposits have been identified as being associated with intrusive dike, granitic pegmatites, carbonatites, and alkaline igneous rocks, including A-type granites and undersaturated rocks. These REE resource minerals are not unlimited and with a 5–10% growth in global demand for REEs per annum, consideration of other potential REE sources and their geological and chemical associations is warranted. The Earth’s moon is a planetary object that underwent silicate-metal differentiation early during its history. Following ~99% solidification of a primordial lunar magma ocean, residual liquids were enriched in potassium, REE, and phosphorus (KREEP). While this reservoir has not been directly sampled, its chemical signature has been identified in several lunar lithologies and the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) on the lunar nearside has an estimated volume of KREEP-rich lithologies at depth of 2.2 × 108 km3.
    [Show full text]
  • Volcanism on Mars
    Author's personal copy Chapter 41 Volcanism on Mars James R. Zimbelman Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA William Brent Garry and Jacob Elvin Bleacher Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Code 600, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA David A. Crown Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA Chapter Outline 1. Introduction 717 7. Volcanic Plains 724 2. Background 718 8. Medusae Fossae Formation 725 3. Large Central Volcanoes 720 9. Compositional Constraints 726 4. Paterae and Tholi 721 10. Volcanic History of Mars 727 5. Hellas Highland Volcanoes 722 11. Future Studies 728 6. Small Constructs 723 Further Reading 728 GLOSSARY shield volcano A broad volcanic construct consisting of a multitude of individual lava flows. Flank slopes are typically w5, or less AMAZONIAN The youngest geologic time period on Mars identi- than half as steep as the flanks on a typical composite volcano. fied through geologic mapping of superposition relations and the SNC meteorites A group of igneous meteorites that originated on areal density of impact craters. Mars, as indicated by a relatively young age for most of these caldera An irregular collapse feature formed over the evacuated meteorites, but most importantly because gases trapped within magma chamber within a volcano, which includes the potential glassy parts of the meteorite are identical to the atmosphere of for a significant role for explosive volcanism. Mars. The abbreviation is derived from the names of the three central volcano Edifice created by the emplacement of volcanic meteorites that define major subdivisions identified within the materials from a centralized source vent rather than from along a group: S, Shergotty; N, Nakhla; C, Chassigny.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Concept 5: Lunar Volcanism Provides a Window Into the Thermal and Compositional Evolution of the Moon
    Science Concept 5: Lunar Volcanism Provides a Window into the Thermal and Compositional Evolution of the Moon Science Concept 5: Lunar volcanism provides a window into the thermal and compositional evolution of the Moon Science Goals: a. Determine the origin and variability of lunar basalts. b. Determine the age of the youngest and oldest mare basalts. c. Determine the compositional range and extent of lunar pyroclastic deposits. d. Determine the flux of lunar volcanism and its evolution through space and time. INTRODUCTION Features of Lunar Volcanism The most prominent volcanic features on the lunar surface are the low albedo mare regions, which cover approximately 17% of the lunar surface (Fig. 5.1). Mare regions are generally considered to be made up of flood basalts, which are the product of highly voluminous basaltic volcanism. On the Moon, such flood basalts typically fill topographically-low impact basins up to 2000 m below the global mean elevation (Wilhelms, 1987). The mare regions are asymmetrically distributed on the lunar surface and cover about 33% of the nearside and only ~3% of the far-side (Wilhelms, 1987). Other volcanic surface features include pyroclastic deposits, domes, and rilles. These features occur on a much smaller scale than the mare flood basalts, but are no less important in understanding lunar volcanism and the internal evolution of the Moon. Table 5.1 outlines different types of volcanic features and their interpreted formational processes. TABLE 5.1 Lunar Volcanic Features Volcanic Feature Interpreted Process
    [Show full text]
  • Explosive Lava‐Water Interactions in Elysium Planitia, Mars: Geologic and Thermodynamic Constraints on the Formation of the Tartarus Colles Cone Groups Christopher W
    JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 115, E09006, doi:10.1029/2009JE003546, 2010 Explosive lava‐water interactions in Elysium Planitia, Mars: Geologic and thermodynamic constraints on the formation of the Tartarus Colles cone groups Christopher W. Hamilton,1 Sarah A. Fagents,1 and Lionel Wilson2 Received 16 November 2009; revised 11 May 2010; accepted 3 June 2010; published 16 September 2010. [1] Volcanic rootless constructs (VRCs) are the products of explosive lava‐water interactions. VRCs are significant because they imply the presence of active lava and an underlying aqueous phase (e.g., groundwater or ice) at the time of their formation. Combined mapping of VRC locations, age‐dating of their host lava surfaces, and thermodynamic modeling of lava‐substrate interactions can therefore constrain where and when water has been present in volcanic regions. This information is valuable for identifying fossil hydrothermal systems and determining relationships between climate, near‐surface water abundance, and the potential development of habitable niches on Mars. We examined the western Tartarus Colles region (25–27°N, 170–171°E) in northeastern Elysium Planitia, Mars, and identified 167 VRC groups with a total area of ∼2000 km2. These VRCs preferentially occur where lava is ∼60 m thick. Crater size‐frequency relationships suggest the VRCs formed during the late to middle Amazonian. Modeling results suggest that at the time of VRC formation, near‐surface substrate was partially desiccated, but that the depth to the midlatitude ice table was ]42 m. This ground ice stability zone is consistent with climate models that predict intermediate obliquity (∼35°) between 75 and 250 Ma, with obliquity excursions descending to ∼25–32°.
    [Show full text]
  • Complex Explosive Volcanic Activity on the Moon Within Oppenheimer Crater
    Icarus 273 (2016) 296–314 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Complex explosive volcanic activity on the Moon within Oppenheimer crater ∗ Kristen A. Bennett a, ,BrionyH.N. Horgan b, Lisa R. Gaddis c, Benjamin T. Greenhagen d, Carlton C. Allen e,PaulO. Hayne f, James F. Bell III a, David A. Paige g a School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University. ISTB4 Room 795, 781 Terrace Mall, Tempe AZ 85287, United States b Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States c Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, United States d Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd, Laurel, MD 20723, United States e NASA Johnson Space Center, Emeritus, 2101 NASA Road 1, Houston, TX 77058, United States f NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States g Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 595 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Oppenheimer crater is a floor-fractured crater located within the South Pole–Aitken basin on the Moon, Received 27 July 2015 and exhibits more than a dozen localized pyroclastic deposits associated with the fractures. Localized Revised 10 December 2015 pyroclastic volcanism on the Moon is thought to form as a result of intermittently explosive Vulcanian Accepted 3 February 2016 eruptions under low effusion rates, in contrast to the higher-effusion rate, Hawaiian-style fire fountaining Available online 10 February 2016 inferred to form larger regional deposits.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Concept 7: the Moon Is a Natural Laboratory for Regolith Processes and Weathering on Anhydrous Airless Bodies
    Science Concept 7: The Moon is a Natural Laboratory for Regolith Processes and Weathering on Anhydrous Airless Bodies Science Concept 7: The Moon is a natural laboratory for regolith processes and weathering on anhydrous airless bodies Science Goals: a. Search for and characterize ancient regolith. b. Determine the physical properties of the regolith at diverse locations of expected human activity. c. Understand regolith modification processes (including space weathering), particularly deposition of volatile materials. d. Separate and study rare materials in the lunar regolith. INTRODUCTION The Moon is unmodified by processes that have changed other terrestrial planets, including Mars, and thus offers a pristine history of evolution of the terrestrial planets. Though Mars demonstrates the evolution of a warm, wet planet, water is an erosive substance that can erase a planet‘s geological history. The Moon, on the other hand, is anhydrous. It has never had liquid water on its surface. The Moon is also airless, as opposed to the Venus, the Earth, and Mars. An atmosphere, too, is a weathering component that can distort a planet‘s geologic history. Thus, the Moon offers a pristine history of the evolution of terrestrial planets that can increase our understanding of the formation of all rocky bodies, including the Earth. Additionally, the Moon offers many resources that can be exploited, from metals like iron and titanium to implanted volatiles like hydrogen and helium. There is evidence for water at the poles in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) (Nozette et al., 1996). Such volatiles could not only support human exploration and habitation on the Moon, but they could also be the constituents for fuel or fuel cells to propel explorers to farther reaches of the Solar System (NRC, 2007).
    [Show full text]
  • Controls on Lunar Basaltic Volcanic Eruption Structure and Morphology: 2 Gas Release Patterns in Sequential Eruption Phases 3 L
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Lancaster E-Prints 1 Controls on Lunar Basaltic Volcanic Eruption Structure and Morphology: 2 Gas Release Patterns in Sequential Eruption Phases 3 L. Wilson1,2 and J. W. Head2 4 1Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK 5 2Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 6 02912 USA 7 8 Key Points: 9 Relationships between a diverse array of lunar mare effusive and explosive volcanic 10 deposits and landforms have previously been poorly understood. 11 Four stages in the generation, ascent and eruption of magma and gas release patterns are 12 identified and characterized. 13 Specific effusive, explosive volcanic deposits and landforms are linked to these four 14 stages in lunar mare basalt eruptions in a predictive and integrated manner. 15 16 Abstract 17 Assessment of mare basalt gas release patterns during individual eruptions provides the basis for 18 predicting the effect of vesiculation processes on the structure and morphology of associated 19 features. We subdivide typical lunar eruptions into four phases: Phase 1, dike penetrates to the 20 surface, transient gas release phase; Phase 2, dike base still rising, high flux hawaiian eruptive 21 phase; Phase 3, dike equilibration, lower flux hawaiian to strombolian transition phase; Phase 4, 22 dike closing, strombolian vesicular flow phase. We show how these four phases of mare basalt 23 volatile release, together with total dike volumes, initial magma volatile content, vent 24 configuration and magma discharge rate, can help relate the wide range of apparently disparate 25 lunar volcanic features (pyroclastic mantles, small shield volcanoes, compound flow fields, 26 sinuous rilles, long lava flows, pyroclastic cones, summit pit craters, irregular mare patches 27 (IMPs) and ring moat dome structures (RMDSs)) to a common set of eruption processes.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood-Formed Dunes in Athabasca Valles, Mars: Morphology, Modeling, and Implications
    Icarus 171 (2004) 68–83 www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Flood-formed dunes in Athabasca Valles, Mars: morphology, modeling, and implications Devon M. Burr a,∗,PaulA.Carlingb,RossA.Beyerc, Nicholas Lancaster d,1 a USGS Astrogeology Branch, 2255 N. Gemini Dr., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA b School of Geography, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK c Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA d Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512, USA Received 2 December 2003; revised 6 April 2004 Available online 11 June 2004 Abstract Estimates of discharge for martian outflow channels have spanned orders of magnitude due in part to uncertainties in floodwater height. A methodology of estimating discharge based on bedforms would reduce some of this uncertainty. Such a methodology based on the mor- phology and granulometry of flood-formed (‘diluvial’) dunes has been developed by Carling (1996b, in: Branson, J., Brown, A.G., Gregory, K.J. (Eds.), Global Continental Changes: The Context of Palaeohydrology. Geological Society Special Publication No. 115, London, UK, 165–179) and applied to Pleistocene flood-formed dunes in Siberia. Transverse periodic dune-like bedforms in Athabasca Valles, Mars, have previously been classified both as flood-formed dunes and as antidunes. Either interpretation is important, as they both imply substantial quantities of water, but each has different hydraulic implications. We undertook photoclinometric measurements of these forms, and com- pared them with data from flood-formed dunes in Siberia. Our analysis of those data shows their morphology to be more consistent with dunes than antidunes, thus providing the first documentation of flood-formed dunes on Mars.
    [Show full text]
  • Lunar Astrobiology: a Review and Suggested Laboratory Equipment
    ASTROBIOLOGY Volume 7, Number 5, 2007 © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.0082 Special Review Lunar Astrobiology: A Review and Suggested Laboratory Equipment AARON GRONSTAL,1 CHARLES S. COCKELL,1 MARIA ANTONIETTA PERINO,2 TOBIAS BITTNER,3 ERIK CLACEY,4 OLATHE CLARK,5 OLIVIER INGOLD,6 CATARINA ALVES DE OLIVEIRA,7 and STEVEN WATHIONG6 ABSTRACT In October of 2005, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Alcatel Alenia Spazio released a “call to academia for innovative concepts and technologies for lunar exploration.” In recent years, interest in lunar exploration has increased in numerous space programs around the globe, and the purpose of our study, in response to the ESA call, was to draw on the exper- tise of researchers and university students to examine science questions and technologies that could support human astrobiology activity on the Moon. In this mini review, we discuss as- trobiology science questions of importance for a human presence on the surface of the Moon and we provide a summary of key instrumentation requirements to support a lunar astrobi- ology laboratory. Keywords: Lunar astrobiology—Human lunar exploration—Instrumenta- tion—Microbiology—Planetary protection. Astrobiology 7, 767–782. INTRODUCTION Moon would provide experience that could be applied in similarly hostile planetary environ- HE MOON IS NOT EXPECTED to harbor indige- ments, such as Mars, and even in extreme envi- Tnous life, yet human explorers and their ro- ronments on Earth (Mendell, 2005). Therefore, botic precursors will likely carry out a range of defining the scientific objectives of lunar astrobi- important astrobiology studies on the lunar sur- ology and the suite of instruments necessary to face that include the search for ancient meteorites, accomplish them is an important objective of the testing of planetary protection protocols, and planetary science.
    [Show full text]
  • Long-Lived Volcanism Expressed Through Mare Infilling, Domes and Imps in the Arago Region of the Moon N
    Long-lived volcanism expressed through mare infilling, domes and IMPs in the Arago region of the Moon N. Schnuriger, Jessica Flahaut, M. Martinot, S.D. Chevrel To cite this version: N. Schnuriger, Jessica Flahaut, M. Martinot, S.D. Chevrel. Long-lived volcanism expressed through mare infilling, domes and IMPs in the Arago region of the Moon. Planetary and SpaceScience, Elsevier, 2020, 185, pp.104901. 10.1016/j.pss.2020.104901. hal-02530348 HAL Id: hal-02530348 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02530348 Submitted on 19 Aug 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 1 PSS _2019_167R2 - Revised manuscript 2 Long-lived volcanism expressed through mare infilling, domes and 3 IMPs in the Arago region of the Moon 4 5 6 N. Schnuriger1, 2*, J. Flahaut1, M. Martinot3, 4 and S. D. Chevrel2 7 8 1- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG) - CNRS/Université de 9 Lorraine, 15 rue Notre-Dame des Pauvres, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France. 10 2- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) - CNRS/Université Paul 11 Sabatier, 31400 Toulouse, France. 12 3- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 6: Olympus Mons and Igneous Rocks
    Lesson 6: Olympus Mons and Igneous Rocks Summary This learning module and related laboratory exercise exposes students to volcanic styles, eruptions, igneous rock textures and their evidence in the Martian landscape. Learning Goals Students will be able to: Differentiate between pahoehoe and a’a lava flows through USGS video and subsequent discussion. Students will then observe Mars imaging of lava flows and hypothesize which lava flow is more likely on Mars. Observe a columnar joint experiment using cornstarch, observe the process and discuss its potential formation on Mars. Students will observe columnar jointing on Mars using HiRISE imaging and compare the features to the Columbia River basalts on Earth as an analog. Use Google Mars and JMARS software, students will increase their literacy with the software packages as well as recognize and analyze different mineralogies on Mars and the nature of Olympus Mons in comparison to Earth analog volcanoes. Context for Use This learning module is meant for adaptation in an introductory earth science course and/or planetary science course. Before engaging in the In-Class Activities and/or Homework, students will need to be provided with an overview of igneous rocks (see Teaching Notes and Tips). All In-Class Activities can be adapted to a homework set if desired. Online access is essential for video viewing in association with the In-Class Activities. Description and Teaching Materials Teaching Notes and Tips In-Class Activity 1. Provide students with a background In-Class Activity 1: Lava flows in the rock cycle, igneous rock In-Class Activity 2: Cornstarch textures, volcanic styles, and rates of columnar joints cooling for In-Class Activity 1.
    [Show full text]