Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Remote Sensing Of Sediments And Volatiles On The Martian Surface And Terrestrial Analog Sites, Craig James Hardgrove

Doctoral Dissertations

The role of water and volatiles in the solar system is of critical interest in planetary science. Evidence for the past action of water or direct observation of water on a planetary body can indicate the potential to harbor life and is critical to human exploration of the solar system. We study two very different remote sensing techniques that address the issue of identifying water-related processes on the surface of other planetary bodies, and in particular, Mars. The first technique, combined thermal infrared and visible imaging, has been used extensively on Mars for determining the thermal inertia of surface materials. …

Constraining Martian Sedimentation Via Analysis Of Stratal Packaging, Intracrater Layered Deposits, Arabia Terra, Mars, Sarah Beth Cadieux

Masters Theses

Craters within Arabia Terra, Mars, contain hundreds of meters of layered strata

showing systematic alternation between slope- and cliff-forming units, suggesting either

rhythmic deposition of distinct lithologies or lithologies that experienced differential

cementation. Hypothesized origins of these intercrater layered deposits include

lacustrine, aeolian, volcanic airfall, and impact surge deposition. On Earth, rhythmically

deposited strata can be examined in terms of stratal packaging, wherein the interplay of

tectonics, sediment deposition, and change in base level results in predictable patterns

with respect to changes in the amount of space available for sediment accumulation.

Fundamental differences between tectonic regimes of Earth and Mars …

Jarosite Formation At The Davis Mine, Rowe, Massachusetts, Karen S. Miller

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This study investigates jarosite formation and stability patterns at the abandoned Davis Pyrite Mine in Rowe, Massachusetts. Jarosite, an iron-sulfate hydroxide, is found in acid mine drainage (AMD) environments, in acid sulfate soils, and on Mars. Jarosite and the iron oxides goethite and hematite are present at the site. Soil samples from the site were examined by XRD, SEM, and EDS. Five mineralogical areas were found, based on mineral abundance patterns. Jarosite exists in four of these areas. Two jarosite morphologies were identified. “Variable” jarosite, with partly-dissolved crystals of about 0.5 to 5 micrometers diameter, exists in spoil pile samples. …

Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity For The Martian Subsurface Based On Drainage Patterns — A Case Study In The Mare Tyrrhenum Quadrangle, Wei Luo, Bartosz Grudzinski, Darryll T. Pederson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Hydraulic conductivity K, as the coefficient of proportionality in Darcy’s Law, is critical in understanding the past Martian hydrologic cycle, climate, and landform evolution. However, K and its spatial variability on Mars are thus far poorly constrained due to lack of accessibility. Using an innovative method based on surface drainage dissection patterns, which has been successfully tested in the Oregon Cascades on Earth, we estimated K in the Mare Tyrrhenum Quadrangle on Mars. The basic assumption is that under long-term dynamic equilibrium conditions, the overall dissection pattern in a watershed as reflected in drainage density is controlled by the …

Balloon Borne Mars Research Platforms, Sean Michael Hancock

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Aerial platforms can fill a measurement gap between orbiters and rovers, providing planetary scale high resolution in situ measurements, access to scientifically interesting terrain that is either inaccessible or hazardous to rovers, and serve as a planet-wide delivery platforms to deploy surface probes and rovers to areas inaccessible given existing entry, descent, and landing systems. A permanent robotic outpost on the Martian surface can utilize locally-derived hydrogen as a lifting gas for balloon systems deployed from Mars. That approach can simplify the inflation and launch of aerial vehicles while allowing for a long duration deployment campaign that is not constrained …