Preliminary mariner 9 report on the geology of Mars

Mariner 9 pictures indicate that the surface of Mars has been shaped by impact, volcanic, tectonic, erosional and depositional activity. The moonlike cratered terrain, identified as the dominant surface unit from the Mariner 6 and 7 flyby data, has proven to be less typical of Mars than previously believed, although extensive in the mid- and high-latitude regions of the southern hemisphere. Martian craters are highly modified but their size-frequency distribution and morphology suggest that most were formed by impact. Circular basins encompassed by rugged terrain and filled with smooth plains material are recognized. These structures, like the craters, are more modified than corresponding features on the Moon and they exercise a less dominant influence on the regional geology. Smooth plains with few visible craters fill the large basins and the floors of larger craters; they also occupy large parts of the northern hemisphere where the plains lap against higher landforms. The middle northern latitudes of Mars from 90 to 150† longitude contain at least four large shield volcanoes each of which is about twice as massive as the largest on Earth. Steep-sided domes with summit craters and large, fresh-appearing volcanic craters with smooth rims are also present in this region. Multiple flow structures, ridges with lobate flanks, chain craters, and sinuous rilles occur in all regions, suggesting widespread volcanism. Evidence for tectonic activity postdating formation of the cratered terrain and some of the plains units is abundant in the equatorial area from 0 to 120° longitude.Some regions exhibit a complex semiradial array of graben that suggest doming and stretching of the surface. Others contain intensity faulted terrain with broader, deeper graben separated by a complex mosaic of flat-topped blocks. An east-west-trending canyon system about 100–200 km wide and about 2500 km long extends through the Coprates-Eos region. The canyons have gullied walls indicative of extensive headward erosion since their initial formation. Regionally depressed areas called chaotic terrain consist of intricately broken and jumbled blocks and appear to result from breaking up and slumping of older geologic units. Compressional features have not been identified in any of the pictures analyzed to data. Plumose light and dark surface markings can be explained by eolian transport. Mariner 9 has thus revealed that Mars is a complex planet with its own distinctive geologic history and that it is less primitive than the Moon.     

High resolution spectroscopy with CSHELL

CSHELL, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility Cryogenic Echelle Spectrograph was designed to fill a need for high sensitivity, high resolution, long slit near-infrared spectroscopy. Scientific programs in the areas of comets, planetary atmospheres, young stellar objects, the interstellar medium, and galactic dynamics have been pursued with CSHELL and are described herein. The future of the instrument is also discussed.     

Observations and modeling of infrared and millimeter molecular lines towards GL2591

We have observed C₂H₂ and HCN rovibrational transitions near 13µm in absorption against GL2591. We also have observed rotational transitions at 0.6-3 mm of CS, HCN, H₂CO, and HCO⁺. Analysis of the rotational lines, which arise in the extended cloud around the source, shows that no single density model can explain all the data. Models with density and temperature gradients do much better; in particular models withn(r) r ^–1.5 can reproduce the observed pattern of emission line strengths. The abundances show significant depletion compared to models of gas-phase chemistry. The rovibrational data were analyzed in comparison to the absorption line analysis of CO by Mitchellet al. (1989). Our data are consistent with the C₂H₂ and HCN absorption arising in the same warm (200 K) and hot (1010 K) components seen in CO, but we see little evidence for the cold (38 K) component seen in CO. The rovibrational lines from higher states (J 21) indicate that the hot HCN deviates from LTE, leading to a density of about 3 × 10⁷ cm^–3. Comparison of the two data sets shows that the rovibrational absorption of HCN, rather than arising in the extended envelope, must come from a region with a small angular extent. A model in which early-time gas phase abundances are preserved on grain mantles and released at high temperature can explain the data.     

Decametric radio measurement of Jupiter's rotation period

A total of 26 measurements of Jupiter's 12-year average rotation period were made at frequencies of 18, 20, and 22.2 MHz at observatories in Florida and Chile. An improved method was employed in which histograms of occurrence probability vs central meridian longitude obtained at the same frequency and observatory during apparitions about 12 years (one Jovian year) apart were cross correlated. The longitude shift giving maximum cross correlation was used to correct the initially assumed rotation period value. The mean of the measurements is 9 hr 55 min 29.689 sec, with a standard deviation of the mean of 0.005 sec. This is about 0.02 sec, or 4 standard deviations, less than the System III (1965) value. The measurements indicate that the rotation period was not changing (linearly) at a rate in excess of 0.03 sec/yr. If the synoptic monitoring program is continued through the next maximum of the jovicentric declination of the Earth (D_E), we will probably be able to detect a rate of change in rotation period as small as 0.002 sec/yr. This accuracy might be sufficient to reveal a secular drift in Jupiter's magnetic field.     

Fast-drift shadow events in Jupiter's decametric radio spectra

High-resolution dynamic spectra of Jovian S-bursts frequently reveal sloping gaps crossing bands of L-burst emission with drift rates comparable to those of S-bursts. These “fast-drift shadow” (FDS) events are often sharply bounded on one edge by an S-burst, and sometimes on both edges by a pair of S-bursts emanating from a common vertex. It is suggested that the investigation of such S- and L-burst interactions may provide new insights of considerable importance in the search for the Jovian decametric emission mechanism.     

Projected 21st century climate change on snow conditions over Shasta Dam watershed by means of dynamical downscaling

Snow is an important component of the Earth's climate system and is particularly vulnerable to global warming. It has been suggested that warmer temperatures may cause significant declines in snow water content and snow cover duration. In this study, snowfall and snowmelt were projected by means of a regional climate model that was coupled to a physically based snow model over Shasta Dam watershed to assess changes in snow water content and snow cover duration during the 21st century. This physically based snow model requires both physical data and future climate projections. These physical data include topography, soils, vegetation, and land use/land cover, which were collected from associated organizations. The future climate projections were dynamically downscaled by means of the regional climate model under 4 emission scenarios simulated by 2 general circulation models (fifth‐generation of the ECHAM general circulation model and the third‐generation atmospheric general circulation model). The downscaled future projections were bias corrected before projecting snowfall and snowmelt processes over Shasta Dam watershed during 2010–2099. This study's results agree with those of previous studies that projected snow water equivalent is decreasing by 50–80% whereas the fraction of precipitation falling as snowfall is decreasing by 15% to 20%. The obtained projection results show that future snow water content will change in both time and space. Furthermore, the results confirm that physical data such as topography, land cover, and atmospheric–hydrologic data are instrumental in the studies on the impact of climate change on the water resources of a region.     

Use of indicator variograms for an enhanced spatial analysis

Flat variograms often are interpreted as representing a lack of spatial autocorrelation. Recent research in earthquake engineering shows that nearby field noise can substantially mask a prominent spatial autocorrelation and result in what appears to be a purely random spatial process. A careful selection of threshold in assigning an indicator function can yield an indicator variogram which reveals underlying spatial autocorrelation. Although this application involves use of seismic data, the results are relevant to geostatistical applications in general.