Exploration and discovery in Yellowstone Lake: results from high-resolution sonar imaging, seismic reflection profiling, and submersible studies

‘No portion of the American continent is perhaps so rich in wonders as the Yellow Stone’ (F.V. Hayden, September 2, 1874)Discoveries from multi-beam sonar mapping and seismic reflection surveys of the northern, central, and West Thumb basins of Yellowstone Lake provide new insight into the extent of post-collapse volcanism and active hydrothermal processes occurring in a large lake environment above a large magma chamber. Yellowstone Lake has an irregular bottom covered with dozens of features directly related to hydrothermal, tectonic, volcanic, and sedimentary processes. Detailed bathymetric, seismic reflection, and magnetic evidence reveals that rhyolitic lava flows underlie much of Yellowstone Lake and exert fundamental control on lake bathymetry and localization of hydrothermal activity. Many previously unknown features have been identified and include over 250 hydrothermal vents, several very large (>500 m diameter) hydrothermal explosion craters, many small hydrothermal vent craters (1–200 m diameter), domed lacustrine sediments related to hydrothermal activity, elongate fissures cutting post-glacial sediments, siliceous hydrothermal spire structures, sublacustrine landslide deposits, submerged former shorelines, and a recently active graben. Sampling and observations with a submersible remotely operated vehicle confirm and extend our understanding of the identified features. Faults, fissures, hydrothermally inflated domal structures, hydrothermal explosion craters, and sublacustrine landslides constitute potentially significant geologic hazards. Toxic elements derived from hydrothermal processes also may significantly affect the Yellowstone ecosystem.     

Martian Topography: Scaling, Craters, and High-Order Statistics

The high-order structure functions of Mars topography reveal three specific ranges of scales: (1) scaling range at small scales where the structure functions exhibit scaling behavior; (2) transition range where the structure functions continue to grow but do not reveal scaling; and (3) saturation range at large scales where the structure functions saturate. The scaling and saturation ranges are explored in detail in respect to scaling and intermittency. Analysis of the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data and computer simulations suggest that there are two potential contributors to the small-scale scaling: (i) scale-invariant surface formation; and (ii) effects of discrete morphological forms such as craters. The crater effect also provides an explanation for the large-scale intermittency revealed using the normalized structure functions within the saturation range, which cannot be explained by the ‘scale-invariant’ concept. Overall, the obtained results suggest that the “crater” contribution to the structure function behavior often dominates over the effect of the scale-invariant surface formation.     

月球辐射状撞击坑经度方向分布特征与同步旋转轨道状态模拟分析

月球目前的同步旋转轨道状态使得形成的撞击坑分布满足一定的不对称性.本文利用最新的LRO影像和地形数据,结合早期的Clementine影响数据,分析了月球辐射状撞击坑经度方向成坑率分布,结果表明所识别的辐射状撞击坑的年龄为0.9 Ga内,西-东半球方向存在明显不对称性,比值约为1.35~1.53;同时利用辐射状撞击坑模拟了0.9 Ga内的同步旋转轨道的平均状态,得到该时间内月球的向点-背点为70°W-110°E附近;最后利用撞击坑数据库资料对月球形成以来各地质世纪时间尺度内的撞击坑进行了成坑率分布分析,结论表明月球在大爆炸中后期间可能处于过近似的同步轨道旋转状态,但是与现在的轨道运行状态相反,月球在之后的地质时期内经历了翻转,其诱因可能是雨海和东方海盆地遭受的撞击.

     

基于最优分割分级法的月球撞击坑分级及其演化分析

撞击坑是月球表面广泛分布的重要构造形态,占据了月球表面的大部分面积。撞击坑的直径差别很大,从几微米到数百千米,其退化程度与形成年代具有密切关系。为了研究不同地质年代形成的撞击坑直径大小及其演化规律,需采用量化分级方法对大小不同的撞击坑进行定量分级和统计分析。本文在月表撞击坑数据库LU60645GT和Lunar_Impact_Crater_Database(2011)的基础上,结合数据库中撞击坑的直径、深度和年代信息,利用最优分割分级法对撞击坑直径进行定量化分级,并根据分级结果,综合分析撞击坑几何形态特征及其演化规律。研究结果表明,撞击坑形态特征的演化与年代有密切的关系。在相同级别、相同地体下,撞击坑形成的年代越早,其形态特征的精细结构退化程度越明显,只保留了大体的几何形状;而在不同级别、相同地体、相同年代下的撞击坑形态特征则由简单逐渐变为复杂,坑物质也逐渐变得复杂。     

Spectral scaling in Mars topography: effect of craters

Extensive computer simulations aimed at testing a hypothesis that impact craters may explain the scaling behaviour of surface spectra are presented. The simulations show that indeed crater effects alone may explain the spectral scaling of Mars’ topography revealed from MOLA data. The range of the scaling exponents obtained for a wide range of simulation parameters does not exceed the limits observed for Mars. The simulations suggest that the shape of large craters is the key factor leading to the two scaling ranges in the surface spectra. Particular values of the scaling exponents may additionally depend on the depth-diameter relationship and the crater size distribution.     

Models of high velocity impacts into dust-covered ice: Application to Martian northern lowlands

The detection of fresh impact craters with bright floors and ejecta (arising from fresh clean water ice) in the northern lowlands of Mars (Byrne et al., 2009b, Science 325, 1674), together with observations of polygonal structures and evidence from the Phoenix probe, suggests that there are substantial water ice deposits just below the surface over large areas. Specifically in cases of the larger craters observed, the impacts themselves may have raised the temperature and the pressure of the water ice deposits locally to values which allow phase changes. In this paper, we use smoothed particle hydrodynamics to model hyper-velocity impacts. We estimate peak shock pressures in a solid water ice target covered by a layer of loose material, modeled by pre-damaged dunite. In addition, we account for the possibility of a thin layer of sub-surface water ice by using a three-layer model where the ice is surrounded by dunite. We find that the peak shock pressures reached in the simulated events are high enough to produce several 100-1000 kg of liquid water depending upon the impact parameters and the exact shock pressure needed for the phase change. A difficulty remains however in determining whether liquid is generated or whether a type of fluidized ice is produced (or indeed some combination of the two). We also note that the process can become rather complex as the number of layers increases because of reflections of the shock at sub-surface boundaries—a process which should lead to increased fluidization.     

全月球撞击坑形貌特征的识别与多指标表达

全月球撞击坑数据是支撑月表形貌研究以及月球工程探测和科学研究的重要基础性数据,其全面性、精确性是衡量一个国家科技水平甚至综合国力的重要指标。基于嫦娥一号、Clementine多光谱等探月数据,智能化人工提取了全月球106030 个直径大于500 m的撞击坑,在IAU 公布的有名称的撞击坑及其描述形貌特征指标的基础上,建立了描述全月球撞击坑形貌特征的指标体系并获得了所有撞击坑指标的属性值。针对现阶段尚无一套完整的全月球撞击坑数据库的现状,采用面向对象的Geodatabase数据模型组织全月球撞击坑数据,构建了包含位置、大小、形状、坡度、方向、中央峰、辐射纹等7 个大类52 个小类指标的全关系型数据库,其可对撞击坑空间数据和属性数据进行一体化管理,实现了对撞击坑数据的存储、检索、处理和应用,为其他月球科学研究基于数据库进行数据挖掘和应用提供了海量基础数据,为后续月球其他资源数据库的构建提供借鉴。今后将进一步完善更新维护全月球数据库的工作。     

“嫦娥一号”第一幅月面遥感影像撞击坑特征

撞击坑是月表的主要地貌形态,按普通碗状型、中心隆起型、平底型及同心圆型4种类型描述"第一幅月面图像"上月表撞击坑的形态特征.应用遥感专业图像处理软件,结合白赛尔大地主题反算法,实现撞击坑分布及直径信息提取.研究发现,研究区域的撞击坑直径主要集中在300～700 m.而且撞击坑空间分布不均匀,直径越小,分布越密集.