The axial skeleton of the titanosaur Lirainosaurus astibiae (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the latest Cretaceous of Spain

Lirainosaurus astibiae was originally described by Sanz and collaborators in 1999 on the basis of a skull fragment, isolated teeth, several vertebrae (e.g. the holotypic anterior caudal vertebra) and appendicular bones from the Late Cretaceous of Laño (northern Spain). A review of all the vertebral remains, including new material (cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, haemal arch), provides additional information about the axial skeleton of Lirainosaurus. A study of the laminae and fossae shows interesting variations in these structures in the axial series, especially concerning the prezygapophyses and diapophyses: e.g. the X-shaped morphology of the centroprezygapophyseal lamina only in the posterior dorsal vertebrae, and the division of the postzygodiapophyseal fossa into two fossae in the posterior dorsal vertebrae and the proximal caudal vertebrae. Two vertebral characters are here considered to be autapomorphic for L. astibiae: the presence of a lamina in the interzygapophyseal fossa in the most proximal caudal vertebrae (a postzygodiapophyseal lamina that separates the ventral postzygapophyseal centrodiapophyseal fossa and the dorsal postzygapophyseal spinodiapophyseal fossa), and the spinopostzygapophyseal structure not posteriorly projected in the posterior caudal vertebrae. The combination of characters present in the axial remains of Lirainosaurus astibiae supports the idea that it is a derived lithostrotian close to Saltasaurinae.     

Does a detachment level exist beneath the Ceraunius Fossae? Insights from graben mapping and lost-area balancing analysis

We took advantage of the close relationship between graben width and rheology of the involved materials (e.g., number, thickness and spacing of rheological layers, presence of mechanical discontinuities of different nature) and attempted to obtain information about the mechanical stratigraphy of the Ceraunius Fossae area (Northern Tharsis Region). The possible existence of detachment levels beneath the Ceraunius Fossae area were investigated using the lost-area balancing method and a topographic profile derived from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data. Results suggest a marked difference in structural style between the western and eastern sectors of the study area, which is interpreted as a result of different mechanical stratigraphies. On the western sector the maximum depth reached by grabens is well localized within 1000 m from the topographic surface suggesting the existence of a detachment level, which we interpret as a weak horizon at the base of the Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian units. The ductile behaviour of this horizon could be favoured by the presence of volatile reservoir or ice. In the eastern sector of the profile (HNf and Hf units) the maximum depth reached by the grabens is scattered and does not support the existence of clearly defined detachment horizons suggesting that Noachian Fractured Rocks are mechanically homogeneous. A maximum depth, however, could be established.     

火星雅丹地貌研究进展

雅丹地貌是一种典型的风蚀地貌。多源遥感探测和就位探测均表明火星表面分布着大量的雅丹地貌,其形态特征和物质组成记录了火星气候环境变化的信息,是当前火星探测和研究的热点之一。本文对火星雅丹地貌的探测历史、分布、类型、几何特征、物质组成、年代学、发育过程及对古气候指示意义等方面的研究进展进行了总结,在此基础上,提出了当前火星雅丹地貌研究存在的主要问题,建议在未来研究中重点加强雅丹地貌定量化和比较行星学研究,并结合其物质组成、年代学等方面工作,探讨其发育过程与气候环境协同演化的机制,为深入认识火星雅丹地貌发育过程,了解火星古气候环境变化提供支持。     

A progression of induration in Medusae Fossae Formation transverse aeolian ridges: evidence for ancient aeolian bedforms and extensive reworking

A progression of induration, erosion, and redeposition of transverse and networked transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) has been documented in the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF), Mars. Cratered and eroded aeolian bedforms are rarely observed on Mars, indicating that those found in the MFF have been inactive for much longer than those found elsewhere. Indurated TARs are observed to grade into faceted MFF terrain, indicating a genetic relationship between the two. We propose that TAR deposition, induration and erosion have played a larger role in the surface morphology and evolution of the MFF than previously recognized. The deposition, induration, and erosion of TARs indicate that the MFF has undergone multiple cycles of reworking, and that much of its current surface morphology does not reflect the circumstances of its primary emplacement. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于THEMIS图像分析的火星Icaria Fossae地区古老火山地貌特征与形成时间

Icaria Fossae地区位于火星Tharsis火山高原的南部。通过对高分辨率的THEMIS图像分析,在该区新识别出了20多个小火山,它们的直径为45~100 km,高度为800~3 000 m。通过对这些火山建造表面撞击坑直径—频率统计的分析,认为这些火山年龄约4 Ga。这是到目前为止在火星上发现的最古老的火山。与火星上其他地区相比,这些火山表现出后期被强烈改造的特征,其间发育丰富的撞击坑、熔岩流、河道等地质现象。