Engineering topics

J R Crandall

Publications and source records attributed to J R Crandall.

8 records

NASA NTRS2024

The Active Volcanoes of Kamchatka as Suitable Terrestrial Analogs Within the AVENGERS Initiative: An Opportunity for In-Situ Operational Tests for Future Landing Venus Missions

The next decade will see the return to Venus thanks to a number of missions which have been recently selected and proposed for launch. The Roscosmos Venera-D mission, along with the NASA DAVINCI, NASA VERITAS, ESA EnVision, the ISRO Shukrayaan-1, and the CNSA VOICE missions will open a new era for the exploration of the Earth’s hellish twin planet. The next missions to Venus should be able to shed new light on the science questions such as: a) whether the volcanic activity on this planet is locally constrained, or volcanism acts on a global scale, b) the rate of the present-day volcanic activity, and c) the style of volcanism on Venus, whether it is predominantly effusive, or the occurrence of local episodes of pyroclastic volcanism is also possible. In preparation for the future missions to Venus, the Analogs for VENus’ Geologically Recent Surfaces (AVENGERS) initiative will select and analyze a number of active terrestrial volcanoes as suitable analogs for the identification and analysis of active volcanism on Venus. Among the future missions to Venus, the Roscosmos Venera-D is the only one to be equipped with a lander which will analyze the elemental and mineralogical composition of the surface. As the young topographic rises (areas characterized by recent volcano-tectonic activity) on Venus are being proposed as one of the possible terrain types for the Venera-D landing, it is crucial to look for volcanic areas on Earth where to perform operational tests such as surface drilling and in-situ elemental composition analysis. To this regard, we propose here the analysis of the active volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia as a very suitable analog for the Venera-D mission, as well as for the analysis of surface change detection due to ongoing eruptions. The Kamchatka Peninsula is located on the eastern margin of the Eurasia plate, in proximity of the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone. The volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula are among the most active volcanoes of the world, making them a suitable terrestrial analog in the search for active volcanism on Venus. Moreover, the volcanoes of Kamchatka are characterized by pyroclastic activity. Since the previous Soviet Venera and Vega missions landed over areas which elemental composition was most likely consistent with that of tholeiitic basalts, performing operational tests over areas characterized by pyroclastic activity also offers the unique opportunity to provide us the tools to potentially interpret the diverse output given by landing over portions of the surface of Venus possibly characterized by explosive volcanic products. Finally, the frequent eruptions characterizing the volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula make them also a suitable terrestrial analog for the possible detection of ongoing eruptions on Venus by future missions, which can be achieved by comparing two (or more) radar images of the same volcano (and its surroundings) in two (or more) different moments of time.

Planetary Geology↗

NASA NTRS2024

Magma-Sediment Hydrothermal Systems on Mars Explored Through Thermochemical Modeling and Analogue Studies

High temperature impact-generated and magmatic hydrothermal systems on Noachian Mars may have produced habitable environments by providing heat, energy, and volatiles necessary to support microbial life. Magmatic hydrothermal systems formed when mafic magma intruded into sedimentary rocks are of primary interest when investigating the habitability of high-temperature aqueous environments on Mars because contact metamorphism favors the alteration of the country rocks and the release of bound fluids in minerals and fluids in ice and pore spaces, and mobilization of bio-essential elements. Magma-sediment hydrothermal systems on Mars are difficult to identify from orbit and only limited in-situ investigations have been performed. Thus, terrestrial analogues need to be investigated. Recent studies focused on a magmatic hydrothermal system characterized by near-neutral Cl-S-CO 2 -rich fluids produced by a mafic dike intruding the Jurassic Entrada sandstone (Colorado Plateau, UT). Chemical and mineralogical changes identified in the dike and in the sediments were attributed to high-temperature metamorphism (> 700 °C), and low-temperature regimes (< 200 °C) when the system cooled down, and became potentially habitable [6]. However, compositional differences exist between the terrestrial dike and basaltic rocks on Mars, making difficult a comparison between secondary minerals and fluid chemistries of terrestrial and Martian systems. Here, we use thermochemical modelling to explore how differences in bulk dike composition will affect reaction pathways, secondary mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and bio-essential element availability.

S Cogliati↗

NASA NTRS2024

The Analogs for VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces (AVENGERS) Initiative: Updates and New Target Areas

Several missions to Venus have been recently selected for launch, opening a new era for the exploration of the planet. One of the key questions that future missions need to address is the rate and style of present-day volcanic activity on Venus. To this regard, an important target on Venus is certainly represented by the young topographic rises, which can be interpreted as the surface expression of underlying mantle plumes. These areas can be considered as the geologically youngest regions of Venus, being characterized by recent volcanic and tectonic activity. Studying areas of active volcanism and tectonism on Venus is crucial as it can reveal clues to the geologic past of the planet, as well as provide information about the volatile content of its interior and about the formation of its dense atmosphere. The “Analogs for VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) initiative aims to select and analyze a number of terrestrial analog sites for the comparative study of recent and possibly ongoing volcanic activity on Venus. In addition to its scientific importance, the AVENGERS initiative acts as a bridge for international scientific collaboration, including selected mission teams.

P D'Incecco↗

NASA NTRS2024

Investigation of a Magma-Sediment Hydrothermal Dike System in Utah: Constraints on the Habitability Potential of Martian Noachian Hydrothermal Systems

The Martian crust is predominantly composed of basalt and hosts a large variety of alteration materials produced by wide-ranging processes from volcanic hydrothermal processes to sedimentary and post-magmatic (e.g., see [2] and reference within). High temperature hydrothermal systems from volcanic processes, as well as meteorite impacts, should have occurred through time. However, finding evidence of high-temperature hydrothermal activity has been challenging. To better understand how to detect such a system on Mars, Earth analogs can be used to constrain mineral changes in such a system, then applied to locations on Mars. Here we investigate a mafic dike and the surrounding metamorphic contact zone that has been hydrothermally altered from contact with ground water as it was emplaced.

R A Slank↗

NASA NTRS2024

Detectability of Magma-Sediment Alteration Mineralogy Via Multi-Instrument Analysis: Implications for Terrestrial Analogs and the Search for Potentially Habitable Environments on Mars

The detection of magmatically driven hydrothermal systems on Mars has met with limited success. Remote sensing efforts have detected limited exposures, though they are usually isolated occurrences, and do not necessarily represent an in-situ alteration sequence. Some of the best evidence for such a system comes from Mars Exploration Rover Spirit’s investigations of Gusev Crater. Diverse alteration minerals were investigated, including possible detections of amorphous silica and montmorillonite. The question remains whether remote sensing/spectroscopy alone is capable of detecting such an alteration front, or if more detailed in-situ analyses are required. In order to constrain this, we have used Mars relevant instrumentation to investigate a terrestrial analog on the Colorado Plateau where a mafic dike intrudes the Jurassic Curtis Sandstone.

J R Crandall↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Effects of Basalt Composition on a Martian Analogue Magma-Sediment Hydrothermal System Studied Through Thermochemical Modeling

High-temperature hydrothermal systems have been identified on Mars associated with both hypervelocity impacts and magmatic activity on Mars’s early history [1, 2]. These processes may have produced habitable environments by providing heat, energy, and volatile species necessary to support microbial life [3, 4]. Hydrothermal systems formed after the intrusion of mafic magmas in sedimentary rocks are of particular interest when investigating the habitability of high-temperature aqueous environments on Mars [5, 6],because during magma-sediment contact metamorphism bond fluids (e.g. in ice, pore spaces, minerals) are mobilized favoring the alteration of the country rocks and the release of bio-essential elements [7, 8]. The chemistry and mineralogy of these systems on Mars are not well constrained and, for this reason, terrestrial analogues need to be investigated. Costello et al. [5] and Crandall et al. [6] have studied a mafic dike intruding the Jurassic Entrada sandstone (Colorado Plateau, UT). The intrusion has produced a hydrothermal system with Cl-CO2 rich fluids and near-neutral pH, which induced chemical and mineralogical changes in the dike and in the sediments [5, 6]. The system reached temperatures higher than 700 °C around the contact zone [6], but lower temperatures (< 200 °C) were reached as the system cooled down [5] making the environment potentially habitable [6]. However, previous studies do not consider compositional differences between the terrestrial dike and basaltic rocks on Mars [9, 10] making difficult a direct comparison between alteration mineralogy and brine chemistry of terrestrial and martian systems. Here, we use thermochemical modelling to investigate how differences in bulk dike composition will affect secondary mineral assemblages and fluid chemistry.

S Cogliati↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploration of A Magma-Sediment Hydrothermal System on Earth: Constraints on the Habitability Potential of Martian Noachian Hydrothermal Systems

The martian crust is predominantly composed of basalt [1] and hosts a large variety of alteration materials caused by wide-ranging processes from volcanic hydrothermal processes to sedimentary and post-magmatic (e.g., see [2] and reference within). Specifically, there is an abundance of evidence that water previously flowed on Mars, ranging from ancient stream beds [3], lake basins [4], sedimentary fans in Jezero crater [5, 6], and clay minerals [7]. These secondary minerals have been observed by landers and rovers [2], from orbit [8], and in martian meteorites [9-11]. Along with low temperature alteration, high temperature hydrothermal systems from volcanic processes, as well as meteorite impacts, should have been present [12,13]. However, finding evidence of high-temperature hydrothermal activity has been challenging. To better understand these processes on Mars, Earth analogs can be used and then compared to potential scenarios and locations on Mars. Therefore, here we investigate a mafic dike and the surrounding metamorphic contact zone that has been hydrothermally altered from contact with ground water as it was emplaced. We will also compare our results to previous work on Robbers Roost Dike, an older mafic dike near our field location that intruded a similar protolith causing a potentially habitable hydrothermal system [14. 15].

R A Slank↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Magma-Sediment Interaction Induced Alteration Mineralogy on Mars: Detectability and Analytical Method Comparison Using the Curtis Sandstone as A Terrestrial Analog

Basaltic magmatism is a ubiquitous feature of the Martian crust, and would have interacted with sediments and fluids through the geologic history of Mars to potentially produce higher temperature hydrothermal systems , and contact metamorphic rocks. On Earth, comparable hydrothermal systems represent habitable environments, which can be used as an analog for Mars. Nevertheless, evidence of aforementioned hydrothermal systems on Mars has remained elusive, despite the efforts of both orbital and in-situ analyses. Limited low grade metamorphic minerals typically indicative of hydrothermal systems (prehnite, zeolites, serpentine) have been detected in the Martian crust, though the detections are typically isolated occurrences, and do not necessarily indicate an in-place metamorphic sequence. It is possible that orbital spectroscopy alone is not capable of detecting such an alteration front, with higher resolution in-situ analyses being required to detect the changes in mineralogy and species of alteration minerals associated with magma-sediment interaction. To constrain this, we have investigated a terrestrial analog on the Colorado Plateau, USA, where a mafic dike intrudes a quartz areinite of the Jurassic Curtis Sandstone. The investigation was carried out using Mars relevant instruments: Visible to Near-Infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy analogous to orbital spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analogous to CheMin on Mars Sample Laboratory Curiosity. While quartz sandstones have not been, and are unlikely to be, detected on Mars, the relatively mineralogically uniform Curtis Sandstone serves as analog here as it avoids complications of multiple mineral systems or significant element exchange with the surrounding area.

J R Crandall↗