High outflow channels on Mars indicate Hesperian recharge at low latitudes and the presence of Canyon Lakes     

Neil M. Coleman  Cynthia L. Dinwiddie 《Icarus》2007,189(2):344-361

A number of martian outflow channels were carved by discharges from large dilational fault zones. These channels were sourced by groundwater, not surface water, and when observed on high-standing plateaus they provide indicators of elevated paleo-groundwater levels. We identify three outflow channels of Hesperian age that issued from a 750-km-long fault zone extending from Candor Chasma to Ganges Chasma. Two of these channels, Allegheny Vallis and Walla Walla Vallis, have sources >2500 m above the topographic datum, too high to be explained by discharge from a global aquifer that was recharged solely in the south polar region. The indicated groundwater levels likely required regional sources of recharge at low latitudes. The floodwaters that erupted from Ophir Cavus to form Allegheny Vallis encountered two ridges that restricted the flow, forming temporary lakes. The flow probably breached or overtopped these obstructions quickly, catastrophically draining the lakes and carving several scablands. After the last obstacle had been breached, a single main channel formed that captured all subsequent flow. We performed hydrologic analyses of this intermediate phase of the flooding, prior to incision of the channel to its present depth. Using floodwater depths of 30-60 m, we calculated flow velocities of 6-15 m s⁻¹ and discharges in the range of . Locally higher flow velocities and discharges likely occurred when the transient lakes were drained. Variable erosion at the channel and scabland crossing of MOLA pass 10644 suggests that the upper 25-30 m may consist of poorly consolidated surface materials underlain by more cohesive bedrock. We infer that an ice-covered lake with a surface elevation >2500 m probably existed in eastern Candor Chasma because this canyon is intersected by the Ophir Catenae fault system from which Allegheny Vallis and Walla Walla Vallis originated. We introduce a new hydrology concept for Mars in which the groundwater system was augmented by recharge from canyon lakes that were formed when water was released by catastrophic melting of former ice sheets in Tharsis by effusions of flood basalts. This model could help to reconcile the expected presence of a thick cryosphere during the Hesperian with the abundant evidence for groundwater as a source for some of the circum-Chryse outflow channels.  相似文献   

HST observations of azimuthal asymmetry in Saturn's rings     

Richard G. French  Heikki Salo  Luke Dones 《Icarus》2007,189(2):493-522

From 378 Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 images obtained between 1996-2004, we have measured the detailed nature of azimuthal brightness variations in Saturn's rings. The extensive geometric coverage, high spatial resolution (), and photometric precision of the UBVRI images have enabled us to determine the dependence of the asymmetry amplitude and longitude of minimum brightness on orbital radius, ring elevation, wavelength, solar phase angle, and solar longitude. We explore a suite of dynamical models of self-gravity wakes for two particle size distributions: a single size and a power law distribution spanning a decade in particle radius. From these N-body simulations, we calculate the resultant wake-driven brightness asymmetry for any given illumination and viewing geometry. The models reproduce many of the observed properties of the asymmetry, including the shape and location of the brightness minimum and the trends with ring elevation and solar longitude. They also account for the “tilt effect” in the A and B rings: the change in mean ring brightness with effective ring opening angle, |Beff|. The predicted asymmetry depends sensitively on dynamical ring particle properties such as the coefficient of restitution and internal mass density, and relatively weakly on photometric parameters such as albedo and scattering phase function. The asymmetry is strongest in the A ring, reaching a maximum amplitude A∼25% near a=128,000 km. Here, the observations are well-matched by an internal particle density near 450 kg m⁻³ and a narrow particle size distribution. The B ring shows significant asymmetry (∼5%) in regions of relatively low optical depth (τ∼0.7). In the middle and outer B ring, where τ?1, the asymmetry is much weaker (∼1%), and in the C ring, A<0.5%. The asymmetry diminishes near opposition and at shorter wavelengths, where the albedo of the ring particles is lower and multiple-scattering effects are diminished. The asymmetry amplitude varies strongly with ring elevation angle, reaching a peak near |Beff|=10° in the A ring and at |Beff|=15-20° in the B ring. These trends provide an estimate of the thickness of the self-gravity wakes responsible for the asymmetry. Local radial variations in the amplitude of the asymmetry within both the A and B rings are probably caused by regional differences in the particle size distribution.  相似文献   

Saturn eddy momentum fluxes and convection: First estimates from Cassini images     

Anthony D. Del Genio  John M. Barbara  Andrew P. Ingersoll  Ashwin R. Vasavada  Carolyn C. Porco 《Icarus》2007,189(2):479-492

We apply an automated cloud feature tracking algorithm to estimate eddy momentum fluxes in Saturn's southern hemisphere from Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem near-infrared continuum image sequences. Voyager Saturn manually tracked images had suggested no conversion of eddy to mean flow kinetic energy, but this was based on a small sample of <1000 wind vectors. The automated procedure we use for the Cassini data produces an order of magnitude more usable wind vectors with relatively unbiased sampling. Automated tracking is successful in and around the westward jet latitudes on Saturn but not in the vicinity of most eastward jets, where the linearity and non-discrete nature of cloud features produces ambiguous results. For the regions we are able to track, we find peak eddy fluxes and a clear positive correlation between eddy momentum fluxes and meridional shear of the mean zonal wind, implying that eddies supply momentum to eastward jets and remove momentum from westward jets at a rate . The behavior we observe is similar to that seen on Jupiter, though with smaller eddy-mean kinetic energy conversion rates per unit mass of atmosphere (). We also use the appearance and rapid evolution of small bright features at continuum wavelengths, in combination with evidence from weak methane band images where possible, to diagnose the occurrence of moist convective storms on Saturn. Areal expansion rates imply updraft speeds of over the convective anvil cloud area. As on Jupiter, convection preferentially occurs in cyclonic shear regions on Saturn, but unlike Jupiter, convection is also observed in eastward jet regions. With one possible exception, the large eddy fluxes seen in the cyclonic shear latitudes do not seem to be associated with convective events.  相似文献   

Arecibo radar observations of Phobos and Deimos     

Michael W. Busch  Steven J. Ostro  Jon D. Giorgini  Ellen S. Howell  Alice A. Hine  Irwin I. Shapiro 《Icarus》2007,186(2):581-584

In November 2005, we observed the moons of Mars using the Arecibo 2380-MHz (13-cm) radar, obtaining a result for the OC radar albedo of Phobos (0.056±0.014) consistent with its previously reported radar albedo and implying an upper bound on its near-surface bulk density of . We detected Deimos by radar for the first time, finding its OC radar albedo to be 0.021±0.006, implying an upper bound on its near-surface density of , consistent with a high-porosity regolith. We briefly discuss reasons for these low radar albedos, Deimos' being possibly the lowest of any Solar System body yet observed by radar.  相似文献   

Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios in the martian atmosphere     

Vladimir A. Krasnopolsky  Jean Pierre Maillard  Tobias C. Owen  Robert A. Toth  Michael D. Smith 《Icarus》2007,192(2):396-403

Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios in the martian CO₂ are key values to study evolution of volatiles on Mars. The major problems in spectroscopic determinations of these ratios on Mars are uncertainties associated with: (1) equivalent widths of the observed absorption lines, (2) line strengths in spectroscopic databases, and (3) thermal structure of the martian atmosphere during the observation. We have made special efforts to reduce all these uncertainties. We observed Mars using the Fourier Transform Spectrometer at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. While the oxygen and carbon isotope ratios on Mars were byproducts in the previous observations, our observation was specifically aimed at these isotope ratios. We covered a range of 6022 to 6308 cm⁻¹ with the highest resolving power of ν/δν=3.5×10⁵ and a signal-to-noise ratio of 180 in the middle of the spectrum. The chosen spectral range involves 475 lines of the main isotope, 184 lines of ¹³CO₂, 181 lines of CO¹⁸O, and 119 lines of CO¹⁷O. (Lines with strengths exceeding 10⁻²⁷ cm at 218 K are considered here.) Due to the high spectral resolution, most of the lines are not blended. Uncertainties of retrieved isotope abundances are in inverse proportion to resolving power, signal-to-noise ratio, and square root of the number of lines. Laboratory studies of the CO₂ isotope spectra in the range of our observation achieved an accuracy of 1% in the line strengths. Detailed observations of temperature profiles using MGS/TES and data on temperature variations with local time from two GCMs are used to simulate each absorption line at various heights in each part of the instrument field of view and then sum up the results. Thermal radiation of Mars' surface and atmosphere is negligible in the chosen spectral range, and this reduces errors associated with uncertainties in the thermal structure on Mars. Using a combination of all these factors, the highest accuracy has been achieved in measuring the CO₂ isotope ratios: ¹³C/¹²C = 0.978 ± 0.020 and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O = 1.018 ± 0.018 times the terrestrial standards. Heavy isotopes in the atmosphere are enriched by nonthermal escape and sputtering, and depleted by fractionation with solid-phase reservoirs. The retrieved ratios show that isotope fractionation between CO₂ and oxygen and carbon reservoirs in the solid phase is almost balanced by nonthermal escape and sputtering of O and C from Mars.  相似文献   

Resonance sticking in the scattered disk     

Patryk Sofia Lykawka  Tadashi Mukai 《Icarus》2007,192(1):238-247

We investigate the dynamical evolution of trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) in typical scattered disk orbits (scattered TNOs) by performing simulations using several thousand particles lying initially on Neptune-encountering orbits. We explore the role of resonance sticking in the scattered disk, a phenomenon characterized by multiple temporary resonance captures (‘resonances’ refers to external mean motion resonances with Neptune, which can be described in the form r:s, where the arguments r and s are integers). First, all scattered TNOs evolve through intermittent temporary resonance capture events and gravitational scattering by Neptune. Each scattered TNO experiences tens to hundreds of resonance captures over a period of 4 Gyr, which represents about 38% of the object's lifetime (mean value). Second, resonance sticking plays an important role at semimajor axes , where the great majority of such captures occurred. It is noteworthy that the stickiest (i.e., dominant) resonances in the scattered disk are located within this distance range and are those possessing the lowest argument s. This was evinced by r:1, r:2 and r:3 resonances, which played the greatest role during resonance sticking evolution, often leading to captures in several of their neighboring resonances. Finally, the timescales and likelihood of temporary resonance captures are roughly proportional to resonance strength. The dominance of low s resonances is also related to the latter. In sum, resonance sticking has an important impact on the evolution of scattered TNOs, contributing significantly to the longevity of these objects.  相似文献   

福建南平花岗伟晶岩中的电气石研究   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

杨岳清  王勇  吕庆田  赵金花 《岩石矿物学杂志》2010,29(3):235-242

电气石是南平伟晶岩和围岩中分布广泛的一种副矿物,根据化学成分,它们属于镁铁锂电气石亚族,其端员为铁(黑)电气石、镁电气石和锂电气石,其间还有一系列过渡矿物。南平伟晶岩中除未发现端员锂电气石外,其他端员及过渡系列电气石均十分发育,这在国内外同类伟晶岩中十分少见。不同成分电气石分布于不同类型伟晶岩及同一伟晶岩分异演化的不同阶段。本文在对电气石的化学成分、物理性质、产状等较详阐述基础上,对它们的演变规律及形成环境进行了讨论,这对于探讨南平伟晶岩的形成及寻找稀有金属伟晶岩有重要意义。  相似文献   

内蒙古集宁新生代玄武岩中橄榄岩包体矿物化学特征及其地幔演化意义   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

周媛婷  郑建平  余淳梅  陈曦  张明民 《岩石矿物学杂志》2010,29(3):243-257

在无水"干"体系的四矿物相橄榄岩中,单斜辉石由于熔点低而通常记录着丰富的部分熔融作用和地幔交代作用信息。在详细岩相学特征和组成矿物主元素分析基础上,重点对内蒙古集宁玄武岩中橄榄岩包体的单斜辉石进行了激光原位微量元素研究。通过与新生代时华北具古老克拉通地幔特征(如鹤壁)和具新生岩石圈地幔特征(如山旺)的橄榄岩对比,讨论了新生代时集宁地区陆下岩石圈地幔性质及其形成和演化机制。集宁地区岩石圈地幔是相当于原始地幔经过较低程度的部分熔融抽取形成的,除个别样品的部分熔融程度5%外,多数样品为5%～10%。橄榄岩的平衡温度与橄榄石Mg#关系表明新生代时集宁地区的陆下岩石圈地幔是不均一的,无明显分层现象,表现为饱满与过渡型地幔的共存。这种主体饱满并兼有过渡型地幔的不均一现象,可能是软流圈物质对古老地幔进行不均匀侵蚀、改造和置换作用的结果。  相似文献   

Concentrations and contamination trends of heavy metals in the sediment cores of Taihu Lake,East China,and their relationship with historical eutrophication   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Zhangdong Jin  Hangxin Cheng  Li Chen  Xiangdong Li  Guangwei Zhu  Guangmin Zhuang  Na Qian 《中国地球化学学报》2010,29(1):33-41

To assess the contamination trends and potential bio-availability of sediment-bound heavy metals, concentrations of heavy metals in acid-leaching fraction and in bulk sediments from the two typical bays (the Meiliang Bay and Xuhu Bay) of the Taihu Lake, East China, were studied. Pb and Zn showed elevated concentrations in the sediments from both areas, although sedimentation history and degree of pollution are different between the two bays. In the Meiliang Bay, both Pb and Zn pollutions started in the late 1970’s, the same time as the beginning of eutrophication of the lake, while the in the Xuhu Bay the metal contamination started since recent 10 years. The concentrations of acid-leachable Pb in the sediments from the Meiliang Bay are correlated with the historical eutrophication process. Before the eutrophication and heavy metal pollution, the chemical properties of the lake sediments were the same as the source compositions of the Xiashu loess. Both Pb and Zn in the sediments mainly occur in leachable forms by nitric or hydrochloric acid, whilst most of Cu is in residual fraction. The results indicate that both Pb and Zn may have higher mobility and bioavailability in water and biology than Cu.  相似文献   

Source apportionment and distribution of atmospheric mercury in urban Beijing,China     

Xiaocheng Zhou  Jianguo Du  Chuanyuan Wang  Sujian Liu 《中国地球化学学报》2010,29(2):182-190

The concentration of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) in the atmosphere of urban Beijing was measured from October 2003 to September 2004 to investigate the origins and spatial-temporal variations of atmospheric Hg. The mean value of Hg concentration is 17.1 ng·m-3 (n=653). The atmospheric Hg data showed spatial-temporal variations throughout the duration of our observation. The maximum GEM concentration (53.7 ng·m-3) was observed at Gucheng in the western area of urban Beijing. The GEM concentrations increased from the north to the south of the studied area, and were higher in winter than in summer. The highest and lowest monthly averages of GEM concentrations were measured to be 23.3 and 4.1 ng·m-3 in January and July, respectively. In addition, GEM concentrations are higher in the daytime than at night in Autumn and from 14 March to 15 April, but daily GEM variation showed an inverse pattern from 22 April to 22 May. In winter, two peak values of GEM concentrations occurred at 13:30 and 21:30. Daily variation of GEM concentrations in summer was the lowest in the four seasons. Mercury from coal combustion was estimated to be the main source of anthropogenic emissions in Beijing from October 2003 to September 2004. Additionally, Hg emission from natural gas burning was estimated to be another dominant source of atmospheric Hg in Beijing.  相似文献