The northern and southern polar areas maps of the Moon are obtained by processing and mosaiking o... more The northern and southern polar areas maps of the Moon are obtained by processing and mosaiking of the AMIE, SMART-1 images. The Advanced Moon micro-Imager Experiment (AMIE) on board the ESA lunar mission Smart-1 has performed colour imaging of the lunar surface using various filters in the visible and NIR. The low pericenter, polar orbit, allowed to obtain high resolution
We shall report at the Lunar Science Workshop 2008 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for scien... more We shall report at the Lunar Science Workshop 2008 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for science and exploration, with emphasis on impact craters, basins, tectonics and volcanism.
The SMART-1 spacecraft operated from 400-3000 km for 1.5 year until impact. We shall report at LP... more The SMART-1 spacecraft operated from 400-3000 km for 1.5 year until impact. We shall report at LPSC2009 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for science and exploration, in relation with subsequent missions Kaguya, Chang'E1 and Chandrayaan-1.
Introduction: Valles Marineris on Mars is known as a place of numerous and well preserved large s... more Introduction: Valles Marineris on Mars is known as a place of numerous and well preserved large scale landslides due to the collapse of the huge canyon walls. The average drop height of these landslides is about 6.5 km and the average run-out length is about 40 km[1]. Their morphology reflects the dynamics of the emplacement of collapsed materials and is consider as indicator of the subsurface material properties. In particular, this study focuses on the long-standing debate about the role of subsurface volatiles (water ice, clathrates, ground water). First order examination based on Viking images considered the apparent friction coefficient. This parameter given by drop height divided by the maximum run-out length ranges from 0.05 to 0.2[2] which is quite smaller than the one for dry materials (e.g., 0.6 in [3]). To explain the low friction of such long run-out landslides, several fluidization models are proposed such as internal fluid (melt water or atmospheric gases), particles i...
We discuss new analyses for terrain in and around the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province on Mars, pr... more We discuss new analyses for terrain in and around the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province on Mars, providing new estimates of size and age of the province, and information on its physical-compositional properties.
The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observatio... more The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observations has been considered evidence of the past presence of liquid water on Mars. Here we report the unambiguous detection of diverse phyllosilicates, a family of aqueous alteration products, on the basis of observations by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board the Mars Express spacecraft. These minerals are mainly associated with Noachian outcrops, which is consistent with an early active hydrological system, sustaining the long-term contact of igneous minerals with liquid water. We infer that the two main families of hydrated alteration products detected-phyllosilicates and sulphates--result from different formation processes. These occurred during two distinct climatic episodes: an early Noachian Mars, resulting in the formation of hydrated silicates, followed by a more acidic environment, in which sulphates formed.
The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on the Mars Express Mission is a push broom instrument t... more The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on the Mars Express Mission is a push broom instrument that scans the Martian surface in 9 channels or linear arrays of CCD detectors. Four of these channels are equipped with color filters in the wavelength ranges blue (440 ± 45 nm), green (530 ± 45 nm), red (750 ± 20 nm) and infrared (970 ± 45 nm). The remaining channels are equipped with a 675 ± 90 nm filter. According to the push broom principle all color channels are expose simultaneously but for slightly different areas of Mars (associated with the separation of the arrays in the focal plane) as the image of the surface sweeps across the focal plane and the lines of detectors. The HRSC color channels can be operated at highest spatial resolution of about 10 m. However the basic color mode of the camera is with 4x4 pixel binning, resulting in about 40 m spatial resolution. At resolutions between 10 m and 40 m compositional differences of surface features such as lava flows, sediment laye...
We constructed THEMIS daytime-infrared mosaics (spatial resolution 100 m/pixel) of several region... more We constructed THEMIS daytime-infrared mosaics (spatial resolution 100 m/pixel) of several regions of wrinkle-ridged plains bounding the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province (CHVP), and performed crater counts to assess whether these plains were associated with volcanism in the CHVP. We determined cratering model formation ages of 3.4-3.7 Ga for SE Malea Planum, 3.6-3.7 Ga for W Promethei Terra, 3.5-3.7 Ga for Hesperia Planum, and 3.6-3.8 Ga for the eastern Hellas basin floor, all of which are consistent with the formation of the major volcanic edifices (3.6-3.8 Ga) in the CHVP. The inclusion of these regions brings the size of the CHVP to >4.86 x 106 km2, comparable in size to the Elysium Volcanic Province. Additionally, we used TES, THEMIS, HRSC, and OMEGA data to assess the physical and compositional properties of the Malea Planum (MP) portion of the CHVP. Our analysis of surface materials shows that the thermal inertia decreases from north to south, suggesting that the surface is ...
An accurate methodology for measuring landslide volumes and gravity center are developed. The res... more An accurate methodology for measuring landslide volumes and gravity center are developed. The results show major differences with previous measurements. This work is considered as a prerequisite for any statement concerning landslide dynamics.
The northern and southern polar areas maps of the Moon are obtained by processing and mosaiking o... more The northern and southern polar areas maps of the Moon are obtained by processing and mosaiking of the AMIE, SMART-1 images. The Advanced Moon micro-Imager Experiment (AMIE) on board the ESA lunar mission Smart-1 has performed colour imaging of the lunar surface using various filters in the visible and NIR. The low pericenter, polar orbit, allowed to obtain high resolution
We shall report at the Lunar Science Workshop 2008 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for scien... more We shall report at the Lunar Science Workshop 2008 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for science and exploration, with emphasis on impact craters, basins, tectonics and volcanism.
The SMART-1 spacecraft operated from 400-3000 km for 1.5 year until impact. We shall report at LP... more The SMART-1 spacecraft operated from 400-3000 km for 1.5 year until impact. We shall report at LPSC2009 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for science and exploration, in relation with subsequent missions Kaguya, Chang'E1 and Chandrayaan-1.
Introduction: Valles Marineris on Mars is known as a place of numerous and well preserved large s... more Introduction: Valles Marineris on Mars is known as a place of numerous and well preserved large scale landslides due to the collapse of the huge canyon walls. The average drop height of these landslides is about 6.5 km and the average run-out length is about 40 km[1]. Their morphology reflects the dynamics of the emplacement of collapsed materials and is consider as indicator of the subsurface material properties. In particular, this study focuses on the long-standing debate about the role of subsurface volatiles (water ice, clathrates, ground water). First order examination based on Viking images considered the apparent friction coefficient. This parameter given by drop height divided by the maximum run-out length ranges from 0.05 to 0.2[2] which is quite smaller than the one for dry materials (e.g., 0.6 in [3]). To explain the low friction of such long run-out landslides, several fluidization models are proposed such as internal fluid (melt water or atmospheric gases), particles i...
We discuss new analyses for terrain in and around the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province on Mars, pr... more We discuss new analyses for terrain in and around the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province on Mars, providing new estimates of size and age of the province, and information on its physical-compositional properties.
The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observatio... more The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observations has been considered evidence of the past presence of liquid water on Mars. Here we report the unambiguous detection of diverse phyllosilicates, a family of aqueous alteration products, on the basis of observations by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board the Mars Express spacecraft. These minerals are mainly associated with Noachian outcrops, which is consistent with an early active hydrological system, sustaining the long-term contact of igneous minerals with liquid water. We infer that the two main families of hydrated alteration products detected-phyllosilicates and sulphates--result from different formation processes. These occurred during two distinct climatic episodes: an early Noachian Mars, resulting in the formation of hydrated silicates, followed by a more acidic environment, in which sulphates formed.
The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on the Mars Express Mission is a push broom instrument t... more The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on the Mars Express Mission is a push broom instrument that scans the Martian surface in 9 channels or linear arrays of CCD detectors. Four of these channels are equipped with color filters in the wavelength ranges blue (440 ± 45 nm), green (530 ± 45 nm), red (750 ± 20 nm) and infrared (970 ± 45 nm). The remaining channels are equipped with a 675 ± 90 nm filter. According to the push broom principle all color channels are expose simultaneously but for slightly different areas of Mars (associated with the separation of the arrays in the focal plane) as the image of the surface sweeps across the focal plane and the lines of detectors. The HRSC color channels can be operated at highest spatial resolution of about 10 m. However the basic color mode of the camera is with 4x4 pixel binning, resulting in about 40 m spatial resolution. At resolutions between 10 m and 40 m compositional differences of surface features such as lava flows, sediment laye...
We constructed THEMIS daytime-infrared mosaics (spatial resolution 100 m/pixel) of several region... more We constructed THEMIS daytime-infrared mosaics (spatial resolution 100 m/pixel) of several regions of wrinkle-ridged plains bounding the Circum-Hellas Volcanic Province (CHVP), and performed crater counts to assess whether these plains were associated with volcanism in the CHVP. We determined cratering model formation ages of 3.4-3.7 Ga for SE Malea Planum, 3.6-3.7 Ga for W Promethei Terra, 3.5-3.7 Ga for Hesperia Planum, and 3.6-3.8 Ga for the eastern Hellas basin floor, all of which are consistent with the formation of the major volcanic edifices (3.6-3.8 Ga) in the CHVP. The inclusion of these regions brings the size of the CHVP to >4.86 x 106 km2, comparable in size to the Elysium Volcanic Province. Additionally, we used TES, THEMIS, HRSC, and OMEGA data to assess the physical and compositional properties of the Malea Planum (MP) portion of the CHVP. Our analysis of surface materials shows that the thermal inertia decreases from north to south, suggesting that the surface is ...
An accurate methodology for measuring landslide volumes and gravity center are developed. The res... more An accurate methodology for measuring landslide volumes and gravity center are developed. The results show major differences with previous measurements. This work is considered as a prerequisite for any statement concerning landslide dynamics.
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