Mercury: the enigmatic innermost planet

The planet Mercury, a difficult object for study by astronomical observation and spacecraft exploration alike, poses multiple challenges to our general understanding of the inner planets. Mercury’s anomalously high uncompressed density implies a metal fraction of 60% or more by mass, an extreme outcome of planetary formational processes common to the inner solar system. Whether that outcome was the result of chemical gradients in the early solar nebula or removal by impact or vaporization of most of the silicate shell from a differentiated protoplanet can potentially be distinguished on the basis of the chemical composition of the present crust. Our understanding of the geological evolution of Mercury and how it fits within the known histories of the other terrestrial planets is restricted by the limited coverage and resolution of imaging by the only spacecraft to have visited the planet. The role of volcanism in Mercury’s geological history remains uncertain, and the dominant tectonic structures are lobate scarps interpreted as recording an extended episode of planetary contraction, issues that require global imaging to be fully examined. That Mercury has retained a global magnetic field when larger terrestrial planets have not stretches the limits of standard hydromagnetic dynamo theory and has led to proposals for a fossil field or for exotic dynamo scenarios. Hypotheses for field generation can be distinguished on the basis of the geometry of Mercury’s internal field, and the existence and size of a fluid outer core on Mercury can be ascertained from measurements of the planet’s spin axis orientation and gravity field and the amplitude of Mercury’s forced librations. The nature of Mercury’s polar deposits, suggested to consist of volatile material cold-trapped on the permanently shadowed floors of high-latitude impact craters, can be tested by remote sensing of the composition of Mercury’s surface and polar atmosphere. The extremely dynamic exosphere, which includes a number of species derived from Mercury’s surface, offers a novel laboratory for exploring the nature of the complex and changing interactions among the solar wind, a small magnetosphere, and a solid planet. Recent ground-based astronomical measurements and several new theoretical developments set the stage for the in-depth exploration of Mercury by two spacecraft missions within the coming decade.     

Application of the 3D magnetotelluric inversion code in a geologically complex area

The WSINV3DMT code makes the implementation of 3D inversion of magnetotelluric data feasible using a single PC. Audio‐magnetotelluric data were collected along two profiles in a Cu‐Ni mining area in Xinjiang, China, where the apparent resistivity and phase curves, the phase tensors and the magnetic induction vectors indicate a complex 3D conductivity structure. 3D inversions were carried out to reveal the electrical structure of the area. The final 3D model is selected from the inversion results using different initial Lagrange values and steps. The relatively low root‐mean‐square (rms) misfit and model norm indicate a reliable electrical model. The final model includes four types of low resistivity areas, the first ones coincide with the known location of an orebody and further forward modelling indicates that they are not in full connectivity to form a low resistivity zone. The second ones are not controlled by magnetotelluric sites and embody little information of the observed data, they are considered as tedious structures. The third one is near to the regional Kangguer fault and should be treated carefully considering the effect of the fault. The last ones are isolated and existing at a limited level as the first ones, they should be paid more attention to.     

What it takes to make a planet

What lay behind the decision to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet" at August's IAU General Assembly in Prague?     

Mars on Earth: soil analogues for future Mars missions

Exploring Mars would be easier if researchers knew more about the properties and behaviour of martian soils. Jeffrey J Marlow, Zita Martins and Mark A Sephton explain how terrestrial analogues could help – especially if we had more of them.     

Mars: simply red?

Ernst Hauber and Gerhard Neukum present a new perspective on the martian surface on the basis of two years of observations by the High resolution Stereo Camera, part of ESA's Mars Express mission.
All HRSC images shown are copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G Neukum).     

Outer planet magnetospheres: influences, interactions and dynamics

The outer solar system is full of surprises, not least in the vicinity of the outer planets and their magnetic fields. Here Caitriona Jackman and Geraint Jones summarize presentations made at an RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting in January 2009.     

地质约束速度建模在复杂构造区叠前深度偏移中的应用

叠前深度偏移是对复杂地质构造进行成像最有效的方法之一,特别是存在陡倾结构或剧烈横向速度变化的区域.速度模型是制约着地震资料处理和成像效果的关键因素,当前业界普遍应用的速度建模方法主要是以网格层析成像反演技术为主,但层析成像通常只能获得大尺度较为平滑的速度模型,速度模型中缺乏高波数成分,因此,对于复杂断块区域,网格层析成...     

Space debris and planet detection

Jane Greaves reviews the role of dusty debris in the detection and understanding of extrasolar planetary systems.     

Redefining active volcanoes: a discussion

The analysis of the current definitions of active volcanoes indicates that they are empirical, conventional, inaccurate, nongeological, and arbitrarily constraining. Redefinition is therefore needed. One possible approach is to refine the current empirical definitions. A statistically reasonable and practical redefinition using a geologically based time convention-Holocene or 10000 years-is suggested. A set of time conditions according to volcano typology-i.e. 1000; 10000 and 100000 years for high-frequency basaltic shields, andesitic-dacitic composite volcanoes and low-frequency large silicic calderas, respectively-as further refinement of the empirical definition is also envisaged. Devising a phenomenological definition as a theoretical approach is another possibility, but in practice extant diagnostic means are still unsatisfactory to discriminate accurately between dormant and extinct volcanoes. As a consequence of the redefinition, a classification of volcanoes according to their eruptive status is proposed. Redefinition of active volcanoes might increase accuracy in the usage of basic terms in volcanology and influence volcanic hazard assessment and risk mitigation projects.     

Geomagnetic evolution: 400 years of change on planet Earth

Spherical harmonic coefficients of the geomagnetic field, calculated from historical observations of declination, inclination and intensity, and from archaeomagnetic inclination results, have been used to produce a film of geomagnetic change since 1600 A.D. The non-dipole geomagnetic field is found to be constantly changing: no fixed or standing non-dipole features are observed. Non-dipole foci are seen to have lifetimes of a few hundred years. The westward drift, which was an important feature of the 18th and early 19th century geomagnetic field, was less pronounced in the 17th century. The growth, evolution, decay and replacement of non-dipole foci, but not their movement are found to have been the major features producing century-long secular directional magnetic variation. Most of the low degree and order spherical harmonic coefficients have changed significantly over the last few hundred years. In particular the change in sign of the axisymmetric quadrupole around 1837 A.D. is noted. Sustained, century-long, intensity changes, however, appear to have been dominated by variations in the intensity of the centred dipole, rather than by non-dipole field fluctuations.     

Earth and Mars: early thermal profiles

The extent of formation heating for the Earth and Mars has been evaluated assuming that the terrestrial planets accumulated from planetesimals. The main result is that, even if a long accumulation time is assumed (τ ≥ 100 Ma), it is possible to obtain a planetary structure with a large melted shell taking into account the role played by massive projectiles, which, upon reaching depths of several kilometres, are able to deposit heat significantly below the planetary surface. Internal temperatures, sufficient for the downward migration of the liquid iron alloy, have been obtained.     

Solar storms, Mars and a comet's tail

Some spacecraft come to the end of their lives while others keep going on and on, writes Peter Bond .     

Mars in depth

P Lognonné, T Spohn and D Giardini describe the state of knowledge of Mars' interior and make the case for deep seismology to address the unanswered questions.     

行星内部地震波及其对卫星轨道的影响

本文指出地震学在天文和行星学科里的重要作用.我们主要介绍最近提出的“潮汐—地震波共振”(tidal-seismic resonance)效应,并且讨论它对卫星轨道演化的作用.当在同步轨道以下周期运动的卫星引起的引潮力的频率和行星内部自由震荡频率吻合时,就会发生潮汐—地震波共振.此时,行星内部的地震波将被激发并引起行星表面的显著位移.升高和下降的地面会对卫星产生一个力矩从而使得卫星轨道下降.因为潮汐共振引起的动态地面位移可以比单纯引潮力引起的位移大两个数量级,所以潮汐共振会显著加速卫星下降速率.我们用我们开发的三维地震波场模拟程序AstroSeis数值计算了潮汐—地震波共振对轨道的影响,进而推测这一共振效应可能对行星早期吸积速度有显著影响.另外,因为行星内部的Q值和S波的波速对潮汐共振影响很大,未来研究微重力环境下的小行星或陨石内部地震波的速度和Q值对研究行星演化和太阳系的形成至关重要.     

Desert varnish: an environmental recorder for Mars

Randall S Perry and Mark A Sephton discuss a target material for Mars Sample Return: rocks coated with desert varnish, a mineral layer that records past surface climates on Earth, and probably on Mars too.     

Erosion of terrestrial planet atmosphere by surface motion after a large impact

The history of atmosphere accretion has a large significance in the evolution of the Earth and other planets. Here we present a quantitative analysis of the Earth's response to large impacts (in the 10³²–10³⁸ erg energy range), and the resulting atmosphere loss owing to the global radial surface motion. Our results show that it is possible to deplete the Earth's atmosphere via this mechanism in very large (lunar-sized, 10³⁸ erg) impacts.     

复杂地区油气地球物理勘探技术集成

随着我国油气勘探程度的不断提高,勘探难度不断加大.全国油气资源战略选区调查与评价项目历经六年,通过对深水海域、西部复杂山地、西藏高原、南方碳酸盐岩、火山岩覆盖区等几类典型地球物理勘探久攻不克的复杂地区开展地震、重磁电、综合地球物理勘探联合攻关,以及天然地震层析成像攻关实验,取得了长足进步,直接带动获得了一批有价值的油气勘探发现和成果,形成了针对深水海域的长电缆地震勘探技术、适用于西部复杂山地和南方碳酸盐岩裸露区的宽线地震勘探技术、高原地震调查技术、复杂地区三维重磁电勘探技术、针对火山岩覆盖区和南方碳酸盐岩裸露区的综合地球物理勘探技术、可应用于复杂山地的天然地震层析成像技术等六项地球物理勘探技术攻关集成.本文介绍了全国油气资源战略选区调查与评价项目所取得的这六项地球物理勘探技术攻关成果.提出了今后在复杂地区开展油气地球物理勘探工作的有关思路.