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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Late quaternary geomorphology of the Great Salt Lake region, Utah, and other hydrographically closed basins in the western United States: A summary of observations

Attributes of Quaternary lakes and lake basins which are often important in the environmental prehistory of semideserts are discussed. Basin-floor and basin-closure morphometry have set limits on paleolake sizes; lake morphometry and basin drainage patterns have influenced lacustrine processes; and water and sediment loads have influenced basin neotectonics. Information regarding inundated, runoff-producing, and extra-basin spatial domains is acquired directly from the paleolake record, including the littoral morphostratigraphic record, and indirectly by reconstruction. Increasingly detailed hypotheses regarding Lake Bonneville, the largest late Pleistocene paleolake in the Great Basin, are subjects for further testing and refinement. Oscillating transgression of Lake Bonneville began about 28,000 yr B.P.; the highest stage occurred about 15,000 yr B.P., and termination occurred abruptly about 13,000 yr B.P. A final resurgence of perennial lakes probably occurred in many subbasins of the Great Basin between 11,000 and 10,000 yr B.P., when the highest stage of Great Salt Lake (successor to Lake Bonneville) developed the Gilbert shoreline. The highest post-Gilbert stage of Great Salt Lake, which has been one of the few permanent lakes in the Great Basin during Holocene time, probably occurred between 3,000 and 2,000 yr B.P.

Currey, Donald R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A new survey of multiring impact basins on Mars

Literature data on Martian multiring impact basins with diameters greater than 500 km are summarized, and evidence is found for eight new such basins. The pattern of changes of basin morphology with increasing basin size suggests three subclasses of multiring basins: (1) multiring basins with diameters up to about 1850 km, which are characterized by the Orientale type concentric structure and cumulative frequency power law slope of -0.75; (2) the Argyre-type basins (with diameters between 1850 and 3600 km, defined by rugged concentric annnuli and a power law slope of nearly -2.0; and (3) the Chryse-type basins (with diameters greater than 3600 km), which exhibit multiple concentric rings and very shallow topographic profiles. Multiring basins are found in all parts of Mars, including the northern lowlands, Tharsis, and surrounding highlands, and are associated with much of the subsequent resurfacing of cratered terrain.

Schultz, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Lunar Basins: New Evidence from Gravity for Impact-Formed Mascons

The prominent gravity highs (mascons) associated with uncompensated mass anomalies in lunar mare basins are a dramatic expression of the present-day rigidity of the lunar lithosphere. First discovered in Lunar Orbiter tracking data, these about 350-mGal gravity highs have been redetermined from the analysis of Clementine and historical tracking. These highs coincide with topographic lows, indicating nonisostatic support. One of the rediscoveries of this analysis is the encirclement of the highs by substantial negative anomalies over topographic highs. Recent gravity fields are providing the increased resolution necessary to determine the causes of this unique mascon signature. The compensation of the basin anomalies remains controversial. The mascon highs have long been interpreted as the result of mare loading, subsequent to the decay of residual stresses resulting from the impact. Substantially more mare fill is required to produce mascon highs than has been inferred on geological grounds, and the amount of near-surface mass deficit required to produce a gravity most exceeds bounds inferred from terrestrial examples. This problem is most acute for the youngest basin, Orientale. Recent gravity fields from Lunar Prospector have suggested mascon highs associated with nonmare basins such as Mendel-Rydberg, or minimally filled basins like Humboldtianum, further calling this explanation into question. We suggest that the mascon gravity signal is produced by a combination of crustal thickness changes, manifested by central mantle uplift, outward displacement of crust, and downward flexure of the lithosphere under mare loading. The mantle uplift is superisostatic, maintained by residual stresses resulting from the process of impact cratering and modification. In particular, the process of crater collapse and mantle rebound terminates abruptly, leaving the mantle plug in a non-equilibrium state, surrounded by a ring of thickened crust. Viscous relaxation over geological timescales has erased some but not all of the signature of the impact process. Mantle uplift inferred from gravity modeling is inversely correlated with age. While the oldest basins such as South Pole Aitken are mainly compensated isotatically, the younger basins appear to have been in a state of superisostatic loading prior to mare emplacement. If this is true, this places an important constraint on the impact process at basin scales. The idea that rebound of the transient crater via acoustic fluidization may freeze substantial stresses imcomplete to this day, may be tested by examining the gravity signatures of major basins on terrestrial bodies. The moon provides the clearest resolved examples to date, but uncertainty in gravity knowledge remains problematic.

Neumann, Gregory A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Comparing morphologies of drainage basins on Mars and Earth using integral-geometry and neural maps

We compare morphologies of drainage basins on Mars and Earth in order to confine the formation process of Martian valley networks. Basins on both planets are computationally extracted from digital topography. Integral-geometry methods are used to represent each basin by a circularity function that encapsulates its internal structure. The shape of such a function is an indicator of the style of fluvial erosion. We use the self-organizing map technique to construct a similarity graph for all basins. The graph reveals systematic differences between morphologies of basins on the two planets. This dichotomy indicates that terrestrial and Martian surfaces were eroded differently. We argue that morphologies of Martian basins are incompatible with runoff from sustained, homogeneous rainfall. Fluvial environments compatible with observed morphologies are discussed. We also construct a similarity graph based on the comparison of basins hypsometric curves to demonstrate that hypsometry is incapable of discriminating between terrestrial and Martian basins. INDEX TERMS: 1824 Hydrology: Geomorphology (1625); 1886 Hydrology: Weathering (1625); 5415 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Erosion and weathering; 6225 Planetology: Solar System Objects Mars. Citation: Stepinski, T. F., and S. Coradetti (2004), Comparing morphologies of drainage basins on Mars and Earth using integral-ge

Stepinski, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Geomorphology of Ma'adim Vallis, Mars,and Associated Paleolake Basins

Ma'adim Vallis, one of the largest valleys in the Martian highlands, appears to have originated by catastrophic overflow of a large paleola ke located south of the valley heads. Ma'adim Vallis debouched to Gus ev crater, 900 km to the north, the landing site for the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover. Support for the paleolake overflow hypothesis come s from the following characteristics: (I) With a channel width of 3 km at its head, Ma'adim Vallis originates at two (eastern and western) gaps incised into the divide of the approximately 1.1 M km(exp 2) enc losed Eridania head basin, which suggests a lake as the water source. (2) The sinuous course of Ma'adim Vallis is consistent with overland flow controlled by preexisting surface topography, and structural con trol is not evident or required to explain the valley course. (3) The nearly constant approximately 5 km width of the inner channel through crater rim breaches, the anastomosing course of the wide western tri butary, the migration of the inner channel to the outer margins of be nds in the valley's lower reach, a medial sedimentary bar approximate ly 200 m in height, and a step-pool" sequence are consistent with modeled flows of 1-5 x l0 (exp 6) m(exp 3)/s. Peak discharges were likely higher but are poorly constrained by the relict channel geometry. (4 ) Small direct tributary valleys to Ma'adim Vallis have convex-up lon gitudinal profiles, suggesting a hanging relationship to a valley that was incised quickly relative to the timescales of tributary developm ent. (5) The Eridania basin had adequate volume between the initial d ivide and the incised gap elevations to carve Ma'adim Vallis during a single flood. (6) The Eridania basin is composed of many overlapping , highly degraded and deeply buried impact craters. The floor materials of the six largest craters have an unusually high internal relief ( approximately 1 km) and slope (approximately 0.5-1.5 degrees) among d egraded Martian craters, which are usually flat-floored. Long-term, fluvial sediment transport appears to have been inhibited within these craters, and the topography is inconsistent with basaltic infilling. (7) Fluvial valleys do not dissect the slopes of these deeper crater floor depressions, unlike similar slopes that are dissected at higher levels in the watershed. These characteristics (6, 7) suggest that wa ter mantled at least the lower parts of the Eridania basin floor thro ughout the period of relatively intense erosion early in Martian hist ory. The lake level increased and an overflow occurred near the close of the Noachian (age determined using >5 km crater counts). Initially , the Eridania basin debouched northward at two locations into the in termediate basin, a highly degraded impact crater approximately 500 k m in diameter. As this intermediate basin was temporarily filled with water, erosion took place first along the lower (northern) reach of Ma'adim Vallis, debouching to Gusev crater. The western overflow point was later abandoned, and erosion of the intermediate basin interior was concentrated along the eastern pathway. Subsequent air fall depos ition, impact gardening, tectonism, and limited fluvial erosion modified the Eridania basin region, so evidence for a paleolake is restrict ed to larger landforms that could survive post-Noachian degradation p rocesses.

Irwin, Rossman, P., III↗
NASA NTRS1977

Origin of the earth's ocean basins

The earth's original ocean basins were mare-type basins produced 4 billion years ago by the flux of asteroid-sized objects responsible for the lunar mare basins. Scaling upwards from the observed number of lunar basins for the greater capture cross-section and impact velocity of the Earth indicates that at least 50 percent of an original global crust would have been converted to basin topography. These basins were flooded by basaltic liquids in times short compared to the isostatic adjustment time for the basin. The modern crustal dichotomy (60 percent oceanic, 40 percent continental crust) was established early in the history of the earth, making possible the later onset of plate tectonic processes. These later processes have subsequently reworked, in several cycles, principally the oceanic parts of the earth's crust, changing the configuration of the continents in the process. Ocean basins (and oceans themselves) may be rare occurrences on planets in other star systems.

Frex, H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Origin of the earth's ocean basins

The earth's original ocean basins are proposed to be mare-type basins produced 4 billion y.a. by the flux of asteroid-sized objects responsible for the lunar mare basins. Scaling upward from the observed number of lunar basins for the greater capture cross-section and impact velocity of the earth indicates that at least 50% of an original global crust would have been converted to basin topography. These basins were flooded by basaltic liquids in times short compared to the isostatic adjustment time for the basin. The modern crustal dichotomy (60% oceanic, 40% continental crust) was established early in the history of the earth, making possible the later onset of plate tectonic processes. These later processes have subsequently reworked, in several cycles, principally the oceanic parts of the earth's crust, changing the configuration of the continents in the process. Ocean basins (and oceans themselves) may be rare occurrences on planets in other star systems.

Frey, H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Chemical character of the partially flooded Smythii Basin based on Al/Si orbital X-ray data

Orbital X-ray fluorescence data indicate that continuous mare-basalt flooding is confined to the northeastern quadrant of the Smythii Basin. Al/Si values for soils in the unflooded northwestern section of the Smythii Basin closely approximate those for the adjacent terra to the west. Terra soils east of Mare Smythii, however, are unusually aluminous compared to terra soils west of the basin. This pronounced contrast between Al/Si values for terra soils to the east and west of Smythii as well as the minimal difference in values between the northwestern section of the basin and adjacent terra to the west are most likely due to a chemically homogeneous layer of ejecta from a large impact event west of Mare Smythii, such as that which formed the Crisium Basin. An alternate hypothesis is that the unflooded section of the basin is predominantly original basin floor material, indicating that the impact forming the 4km deep Smythii Basin did not penetrate into a horizon chemically different from the terra west of Smythii. The chemical contrast between the terra east and west of Smythii, then, would be ascribed to lateral heterogeneity within the lunar crust

Andre, C. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Large impact basins on Mercury and relative crater production rates

A search for impact basins on Mercury having diameters greater than 200 km revealed evidence for 40 such structures on the 47% of Mercury mapped at sufficient resolution by Mariner 10. This is similar to the number (35) found by Schaber et al. (1977), although there is disagreement in the details of both diameters (for basins observed by them and by the authors) and in the existence of individual basins. The differences are described in detail. A log (cumulative number/unit area)-log (diameter) plot for mercurian basins has a least squares slope of -2; basins show somewhat less scatter about this line than do the Schaber et al. basins. Mercury has (in cumulative number/unit area) only 37% as many basins as does the moon over the entire range of diameters greater than 300 km. If both the moon and Mercury have had similar preservation times for craters and if common populations of impactors are involved, then Mars-crossers may have been a dominant contribution to the basin-forming objects.

Frey, H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Martian double ring basins - New observations

A description is presented of 18 Martian basins which were newly discovered on Viking photographs. A study of the basins reveals that diameter dependent differences in the morphology of Martian basins are more complex than previously realized. Basins have been classified according to ring morphology, and a diameter dependent sequence apparently exists. The obtained morphology sequence does not conform to the progression observed on the moon, Mercury, and earth. The small Martian basins are 50 to 100 km smaller than any basin on Mercury and the moon, supporting the view that they are unique to Mars. On earth there are significant terrain influences on crater and basin morphology that encourage the speculation that localized unique characteristics of the Martian crust led to basin formation at diameters where craters would normally be formed.

Wood, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Chemical rings of lunar basins from orbital X-ray data

Chemical patterns related to basin structure have been observed in digital maps of Mg/Al, Mg/Si and Al/Si variations on the nearside lunar surface. A large part of the inner topographic ring of the Smythii basin is distinguishable chemically in the orbital X-ray data because it is more anorthositic than the surrounding soil. The correlations between the chemistry and morphology of the Symthii basin, supported by X-ray data at Langrenus crater, indicate that: (1) the chemical record of basin-formation in pre-Nectarian times persists in lunar soils despite continuous meteorite bombardment of the moon; (2) strata of contrasting chemistry were excavated on the western side of the Smythii basin, whereas the lithology east of the basin is homogeneous to the depths sampled; (3) the geochemical boundary between the provinces of the eastern near side and far side may represent only surficial differences; and (4) the extent of primary ejecta from the younger Crisium basin was insufficient to mask the chemical features created by the Smythii impact approximately one Crisium-basin diameter away.

Andre, C. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Mercury: New identification of ancient multi-ring basins and implications for geologic evolution

A systematic survey of the entire Mariner 10 coverage of Mercury was performed to determine the number, distribution and dimensions of additional ancient basins on the planet. Ancient multi-ringed basins on Mercury can be recognized by the following criteria: (1) arcs of massif chains and isolated massifs that protrude through younger units, (2) arcuate segments of lobate ridges (rupes) that align with massifs in circular patterns, (3) arcuate scarps that are aligned with ridges and massif, and (4) isolated regions of anomalously high topography within the intercrater regions of heavily cratered terrain. All of the newly identified basins predate the mercurian intercrater plains, previously held to be the oldest geologic unit on the planet. Subsequent structural evolution of various regions was influenced by the presence of these basins. Smooth plains units appear to be more extensive than mapped by Mariner 10 and more than 90 percent of them appear to be basin contained or basin related. The concentration of extensive smooth plains material within and associated with basin structural and depositional environments suggests a volcanic origin for most of this unit, analogous to the lunar maria. Basins appear to provide the basic structural pattern of early terrestrial planetary crusts.

Spudis, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Geometric and chronologic evolution of the Verde and Payson Basins of Central Arizona and possible relationships to detachment faulting

The Transition Zone of Arizona and the structural basins therein have been poorly understood features from a structural standpoint. This is true both of their overall geometry as well as their formation. Yet these basins have developed within the last 13 million years and thus represent perhaps the most recent phase of development related to the extensional tectonics of the Basin and Range province. Recent work (Smith, 1984; Vance, 1983) as well as some older studies (Anderson and Creasy, 1985; Pedersen and Royce, 1970) provide data on the geometry of the Verde and Payson basins which can be used to constrain some hypotheses related to the development of these basins. The work of Cloos (1868), Anderson et. al. (1983), Wernicke and Burchfiel (1982) and Davis et. al. (l980) suggest a spatial and chronologic relation exists between planar high angle normal faults and low angle detachment faults. Perhaps one of the clearest examples from the Basin and Range area appears to be from seismic reflection profiles of the Sevier Desert Basin area of Utah (Fig. 1). These profiles suggest the existence fault-controlled extension basin development above it. Faults that appear either listric or planar intersect it from above.

Brumbaugh, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Do large impact basins in the southern hemisphere of Mars control the distribution of polar structures and deposits?

Among the outstanding problems in Martian geology are the cause of the off-axis and asymmetric distribution of the southern polar layered terrain and residual ice deposits and the cause of the orientation of scarps, valleys, and re-entrant canyons which occur there. A perhaps related problem region is the apparently small number of large (D greater than 500 km) impact basins seen in the relatively well-preserved cratered terrain of the south polar region. Previously only the 850 km wide South Polar Basin was easily recognized. The south polar region was mapped in detail, searching for evidence of ancient, highly degraded impact basins that may have escaped earlier notice, for two reasons: (1) to determine whether the apparent absence of large impact basins is due to incomplete mapping and recognition or a fundamental characteristic of the Martian crust related to the origin of the Martian crustal dichotomy, and (2) to determine whether ancient impact basins, if they exist, exert some control on the distribution of volcanic and polar deposits in the southern hemisphere and on the topography on which these deposits lie. Several promising candidates, including a large pre-Hellas basin in the Malea Planum region and an older but comparably sized basin overlapping South Polar, were previously described. Concentration is on the possible influence of the candidate basins in localizing the asymmetric distribution of polar deposits and in controlling the orientation of structures found within these deposits.

Frey, Herbert↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Lunar Crust: Global Structure and Signature of Major Basins

New lunar gravity and topography data from the Clementine Mission provide a global Bouguer anomaly map corrected for the gravitational attraction of mare fill in mascon basins. Most of the gravity signal remaining after corrections for the attraction of topography and mare fill can be attributed to variations in depth to the lunar Moho and therefore crustal thickness. The large range of global crustal thickness (approx. 20-120 km) is indicative of major spatial variations in melting of the lunar exterior and/or significant impact-related redistribution. The 6l-km average crustal thickness, constrained by a depth-to-Moho measured during the Apollo 12 and 14 missions, is preferentially distributed toward the farside, accounting for much of the offset in center-of-figure from the center-of-mass. While the average farside thickness is 12 km greater than the nearside, the distribution is nonuniform, with dramatic thinning beneath the farside, South Pole-Aitken basin. With the global crustal thickness map as a constraint, regional inversions of gravity and topography resolve the crustal structure of major mascon basins to half wavelengths of 150 km. In order to yield crustal thickness maps with the maximum horizontal resolution permitted by the data, the downward continuation of the Bouguer gravity is stabilized by a three- dimensional, minimum-slope and curvature algorithm. Both mare and non-mare basins are characterized by a central upwarped moho that is surrounded by rings of thickened crust lying mainly within the basin rims. The inferred relief at this density interface suggests a deep structural component to the surficial features of multiring lunar impact basins. For large (greater than 300 km diameter) basins, moho relief appears uncorrelated with diameter, but is negatively correlated with basin age. In several cases, it appears that the multiring structures were out of isostatic equilibrium prior to mare emplacement, suggesting that the lithosphere was strong enough to maintain their state of stress to the present.

Neumann, Gregory A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Vertical Analysis of Martian Drainage Basins

We have performed a vertical analysis of drainage basins on Mars that were computationally extracted from DEMs based on the MOLA data. Longitudinal profiles of main streams are calculated and the slope-area relation is established for 20 basins coming from assorted martian locations. An identical analysis is done for 19 terrestrial river basins. Our results show that, in comparison to terrestrial basins, martian basins have more linear longitudinal profiles, more frequent existence of knickpoints, predominance of asymmetric location of the main stream in the basin, and smaller values of concavity exponent. This suggests a limited role for surface runoff on the global scale. However, two basins extracted from the slopes of martian volcanoes show a strong similarity to terrestrial basins, indicating a possible local role for the process of surface runoff.

Stepinski, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Buried and Visible Impact Basin Distribution on Mars: Comparison with Magnetization, Gravity and Crustal Thickness Models

The large population of buried impact basins found in MOLA elevation data on Mars provides compelling evidence for a pre-Noachian crust below the oldest visible Early Noachian surface units, and lowland crust below the younger plains that is Early Noachian in age, older than much of the visible highlands, but not as old as the buried pre-Noachian highlands. The large (D greater than 200 km) buried basins are suggested by Quasi-Circular Depressions (QCDs) that are not apparent in image data, and include features up to 3000 lun diameter in both the lowlands (Utopia) and highlands (a newly found "Ares Basin"). There are about a dozen QCDs larger than 1000 km diameter. We have placed these large features in a relative age sequence based on superimposed smaller QCD. Only the youngest and most obvious of these (Hellas, Argyre, Isidis) lack magnetic anomalies within their main rings. These all have an N(200) cumulative crater density of less than 2.5. Somewhat older lowland-making basins (Utopia, Chryse, Acidalia) with an N(200) age of approximately 3.0, have weak magnetic anomalies, and the oldest, most subdued basins (including Ares) with N(200) greater than 3.5 have many strong magnetic anomalies within their main ring. These older basins likely formed before the main magnetic field died. We have compared our inventory of large QCDs with the distribution of gravity anomalies and with a crustal thickness model which shows many roughly circular areas of thinner crust completely or partly surrounded by narrow regions of thicker crust. These have the structure expected for impact basins, and many of them do correspond to the visible or buried QCDs we previously identified. But there are cases where the crustal thickness feature is offset from the QCD found in topography alone, and there are also several, sometimes large examples of such features which do not coincide with QCDs previously identified. For example, we find several likely buried basins revealed in the crustal thickness data in the Arcadia and Amazonis regions which we did not previously identify, including several features in the 600-1200 km diameter range.

Frey, Herbert↗
NASA NTRS2012

Sampling South Pole-Aitken Basin: The Moonrise Approach

The South Pole-Aitken basin (SPA) is the largest of the giant impact basins in the inner Solar System, and its location on Earth s Moon makes it the most accessible. Exploration of SPA through direct collection and analysis of representative materials addresses issues as fundamental as the characteristics of the chemical reservoir from which the Moon originated, early differentiation and production of crust and development of global asymmetry, relationships between magmatic activity and internal thermal evolution, and effects of giant impact events on the terrestrial planets. Owing to its great size and superposition relationships with other lunar impact basins, SPA is the oldest and as such anchors the lunar chronology. Moreover, numerous large impact craters and basins are contained within it such that materials (rocks) of the SPA basin contain a record of the early impact chronology, one less likely to have been affected by the large, late nearside basins (e.g., Imbrium). Understanding the early basin chronology is key to deciphering the sequence and effects of early giant impact bombardment of the inner Solar System. That record exists on the Moon, and materials of the SPA basin will allow us to read that record. Knowledge of the early bombardment history will test - and may reshape - a key paradigm relating to early Solar System evolution. Did the planets form with the alignment of today, or was there a major reorientation of the giant planets that led to destabilization of asteroid orbits, and a cataclysmic bombardment of the inner Solar System hundreds of millions of years after accretion of the planets? Implications include understanding environments for early life-supporting habitats on Earth and Mars, and relationships to new observations of extra-solar planetary systems.

Jolliff, B. L.↗