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Sánchez-Lavega A, Muñoz AG, García-Melendo E, Pérez-Hoyos S, Gómez-Forrellad JM, Pellier C, Delcroix M, López-Valverde MA, González-Galindo F, Jaeschke W, Parker D, Phillips J, Peach D. An extremely high-altitude plume seen at Mars' morning terminator. Nature 2015; 518:525-8. [PMID: 25686601 DOI: 10.1038/nature14162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Martian limb (that is, the observed 'edge' of the planet) represents a unique window into the complex atmospheric phenomena occurring there. Clouds of ice crystals (CO2 ice or H2O ice) have been observed numerous times by spacecraft and ground-based telescopes, showing that clouds are typically layered and always confined below an altitude of 100 kilometres; suspended dust has also been detected at altitudes up to 60 kilometres during major dust storms. Highly concentrated and localized patches of auroral emission controlled by magnetic field anomalies in the crust have been observed at an altitude of 130 kilometres. Here we report the occurrence in March and April 2012 of two bright, extremely high-altitude plumes at the Martian terminator (the day-night boundary) at 200 to 250 kilometres or more above the surface, and thus well into the ionosphere and the exosphere. They were spotted at a longitude of about 195° west, a latitude of about -45° (at Terra Cimmeria), extended about 500 to 1,000 kilometres in both the north-south and east-west directions, and lasted for about 10 days. The features exhibited day-to-day variability, and were seen at the morning terminator but not at the evening limb, which indicates rapid evolution in less than 10 hours and a cyclic behaviour. We used photometric measurements to explore two possible scenarios and investigate their nature. For particles reflecting solar radiation, clouds of CO2-ice or H2O-ice particles with an effective radius of 0.1 micrometres are favoured over dust. Alternatively, the plume could arise from auroral emission, of a brightness more than 1,000 times that of the Earth's aurora, over a region with a strong magnetic anomaly where aurorae have previously been detected. Importantly, both explanations defy our current understanding of Mars' upper atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sánchez-Lavega
- 1] Departamento de Física Aplicada I, ETS Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco, Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain [2] Unidad Asociada Grupo Ciencias Planetarias UPV/EHU-IAA (CSIC), Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - A García Muñoz
- European Space Agency, ESTEC, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - E García-Melendo
- 1] Departamento de Física Aplicada I, ETS Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco, Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain [2] Fundació Observatori Esteve Duran, Montseny 46, 08553 Seva (Barcelona), Spain
| | - S Pérez-Hoyos
- 1] Departamento de Física Aplicada I, ETS Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco, Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain [2] Unidad Asociada Grupo Ciencias Planetarias UPV/EHU-IAA (CSIC), Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - J M Gómez-Forrellad
- Fundació Observatori Esteve Duran, Montseny 46, 08553 Seva (Barcelona), Spain
| | - C Pellier
- Commission des Surfaces planétaires, Société Astronomique de France, 3, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris, France
| | - M Delcroix
- Commission des Surfaces planétaires, Société Astronomique de France, 3, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris, France
| | - M A López-Valverde
- 1] Unidad Asociada Grupo Ciencias Planetarias UPV/EHU-IAA (CSIC), Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain [2] Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomia, 3, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - F González-Galindo
- 1] Unidad Asociada Grupo Ciencias Planetarias UPV/EHU-IAA (CSIC), Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain [2] Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomia, 3, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - W Jaeschke
- Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, 200 Lawrence Drive, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380, USA
| | - D Parker
- Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, 12911 Lerida Street, Coral Gables, Florida 33156, USA
| | - J Phillips
- Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, Charleston, 570 Long Point Road STE 230, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464, USA
| | - D Peach
- British Astronomical Association, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0DU, UK
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McSween HY, Ruff SW, Morris RV, Gellert R, Klingelhöfer G, Christensen PR, McCoy TJ, Ghosh A, Moersch JM, Cohen BA, Rogers AD, Schröder C, Squyres SW, Crisp J, Yen A. Mineralogy of volcanic rocks in Gusev Crater, Mars: Reconciling Mössbauer, Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, and Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer spectra. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Rogers AD, Bandfield JL, Christensen PR. Global spectral classification of Martian low-albedo regions with Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS-TES) data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Rogers AD, Christensen PR. Surface mineralogy of Martian low-albedo regions from MGS-TES data: Implications for upper crustal evolution and surface alteration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fallacaro A, Calvin WM. Spectral properties of Lake Superior banded iron formation: application to Martian hematite deposits. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:563-80. [PMID: 16916283 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Several locations have been identified on Mars that expose bulk, coarsely crystalline gray hematite. These deposits have been interpreted as being sedimentary and formed in aqueous environments. Lake Superior Type (LST) banded iron formation (BIF) was investigated as a spectral and possible process analog to these deposits. In northern Michigan, LST BIF formed in a sedimentary, continental shelf or shallow basin environment under stable tectonic conditions, and the oxide facies contains gray, crystalline hematite. These deposits are Proterozoic in age and contain microfossils associated with the early diversification of life on Earth. Samples of the hematite-bearing oxide facies, as well as the carbonate facies, were collected and analyzed for their spectral and geochemical characteristics. Sample spectra were measured in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal infrared for comparison with remote and in situ spectra obtained at Mars. Thin section analysis, as well as X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy measurements, were performed to determine detailed geochemistry. There is no evidence for BIF at Opportunity's Meridiani landing site, and the results of this work will provide useful data for determining whether BIFs exist elsewhere on Mars and are, thus, relevant to current and future Mars exploration missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Fallacaro
- Geological Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA.
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Michalski JR, Kraft MD, Sharp TG, Williams LB, Christensen PR. Emission spectroscopy of clay minerals and evidence for poorly crystalline aluminosilicates on Mars from Thermal Emission Spectrometer data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Tinetti G, Meadows VS, Crisp D, Fong W, Velusamy T, Snively H. Disk-averaged synthetic spectra of Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2005; 5:461-82. [PMID: 16078866 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2005.5.461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The principal goal of the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and European Space Agency's Darwin mission concepts is to directly detect and characterize extrasolar terrestrial (Earthsized) planets. This first generation of instruments is expected to provide disk-averaged spectra with modest spectral resolution and signal-to-noise. Here we use a spatially and spectrally resolved model of a Mars-like planet to study the detectability of a planet's surface and atmospheric properties from disk-averaged spectra. We explore the detectability as a function of spectral resolution and wavelength range, for both the proposed visible coronograph (TPFC) and mid-infrared interferometer (TPF-I/Darwin) architectures. At the core of our model is a spectrum-resolving (line-by-line) atmospheric/surface radiative transfer model. This model uses observational data as input to generate a database of spatially resolved synthetic spectra for a range of illumination conditions and viewing geometries. The model was validated against spectra recorded by the Mars Global Surveyor-Thermal Emission Spectrometer and the Mariner 9-Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer. Results presented here include disk-averaged synthetic spectra, light curves, and the spectral variability at visible and mid-infrared wavelengths for Mars as a function of viewing angle, illumination, and season. We also considered the differences in the spectral appearance of an increasingly ice-covered Mars, as a function of spectral resolution, signal-to-noise and integration time for both TPF-C and TPFI/ Darwin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Tinetti
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, National Research Council, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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Mustard JF. Joint analysis of ISM and TES spectra: The utility of multiple wavelength regimes for Martian surface studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Bell JF, Squyres SW, Arvidson RE, Arneson HM, Bass D, Blaney D, Cabrol N, Calvin W, Farmer J, Farrand WH, Goetz W, Golombek M, Grant JA, Greeley R, Guinness E, Hayes AG, Hubbard MYH, Herkenhoff KE, Johnson MJ, Johnson JR, Joseph J, Kinch KM, Lemmon MT, Li R, Madsen MB, Maki JN, Malin M, McCartney E, McLennan S, McSween HY, Ming DW, Moersch JE, Morris RV, Dobrea EZN, Parker TJ, Proton J, Rice JW, Seelos F, Soderblom J, Soderblom LA, Sohl-Dickstein JN, Sullivan RJ, Wolff MJ, Wang A. Pancam multispectral imaging results from the Spirit Rover at Gusev Crater. Science 2004; 305:800-6. [PMID: 15297658 DOI: 10.1126/science.1100175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Panoramic Camera images at Gusev crater reveal a rock-strewn surface interspersed with high- to moderate-albedo fine-grained deposits occurring in part as drifts or in small circular swales or hollows. Optically thick coatings of fine-grained ferric iron-rich dust dominate most bright soil and rock surfaces. Spectra of some darker rock surfaces and rock regions exposed by brushing or grinding show near-infrared spectral signatures consistent with the presence of mafic silicates such as pyroxene or olivine. Atmospheric observations show a steady decline in dust opacity during the mission, and astronomical observations captured solar transits by the martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, as well as a view of Earth from the martian surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Bell
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA.
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Rogers D. Age relationship of basaltic and andesitic surface compositions on Mars: Analysis of high-resolution TES observations of the northern hemisphere. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Ruff SW, Christensen PR. Bright and dark regions on Mars: Particle size and mineralogical characteristics based on Thermal Emission Spectrometer data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 318] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven W. Ruff
- Mars Space Flight Facility, Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Philip R. Christensen
- Mars Space Flight Facility, Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
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Christensen PR, Bandfield JL, Hamilton VE, Ruff SW, Kieffer HH, Titus TN, Malin MC, Morris RV, Lane MD, Clark RL, Jakosky BM, Mellon MT, Pearl JC, Conrath BJ, Smith MD, Clancy RT, Kuzmin RO, Roush T, Mehall GL, Gorelick N, Bender K, Murray K, Dason S, Greene E, Silverman S, Greenfield M. Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment: Investigation description and surface science results. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 782] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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James PB, Cantor BA, Davis S. Mars Orbiter Camera observations of the Martian south polar cap in 1999-2000. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Smith PH, Reynolds R, Weinberg J, Friedman T, Lemmon MT, Tanner R, Reid RJ, Marcialis RL, Bos BJ, Oquest C, Keller HU, Markiewicz WJ, Kramm R, Gliem F, Rueffer P. The MVACS Surface Stereo Imager on Mars Polar Lander. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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16
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Bridges NT, Crisp JA, Bell JF. Characteristics of the Pathfinder APXS sites: Implications for the composition of Martian rocks and soils. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Cloutis EA, Bell JF. Diaspores and related hydroxides: Spectral-compositional properties and implications for Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Bell JF, McSween HY, Crisp JA, Morris RV, Murchie SL, Bridges NT, Johnson JR, Britt DT, Golombek MP, Moore HJ, Ghosh A, Bishop JL, Anderson RC, Brückner J, Economou T, Greenwood JP, Gunnlaugsson HP, Hargraves RM, Hviid S, Knudsen JM, Madsen MB, Reid R, Rieder R, Soderblom L. Mineralogic and compositional properties of Martian soil and dust: Results from Mars Pathfinder. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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McSween HY, Murchie SL, Crisp JA, Bridges NT, Anderson RC, Bell JF, Britt DT, Brückner J, Dreibus G, Economou T, Ghosh A, Golombek MP, Greenwood JP, Johnson JR, Moore HJ, Morris RV, Parker TJ, Rieder R, Singer R, Wänke H. Chemical, multispectral, and textural constraints on the composition and origin of rocks at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/98je02551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Thomas N, Markiewicz WJ, Sablotny RM, Wuttke MW, Keller HU, Johnson JR, Reid RJ, Smith PH. The color of the Martian sky and its influence on the illumination of the Martian surface. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/98je02556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wolff MJ, Bell JF, James PB, Clancy RT, Lee SW. Hubble Space Telescope observations of the Martian aphelion cloud belt prior to the Pathfinder mission: Seasonal and interannual variations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/98je01967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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