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Enhanced 3D Model of Mars Crater Edge Shows Ups and Downs
February 17, 2010 - A dramatic 3D Mars view based on terrain modeling from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data shows "highs and lows" of Mojave Crater. The vertical dimension is exaggerated three-fold compared with horizontal dimensions in the synthesized images of a portion of the crater's wall. The resulting images look like the view from a low-altitude aircraft. They reflect one use of digital modeling derived from two observations by the orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. This enhanced view shows material that has ponded and is backed up behind massive blocks of bedrock in the crater's terrace walls. Hundreds of Martian impact craters have similar ponding with pitted surfaces. Scientists believe these "pitted ponds" are created when material melted by the crater-causing impacts is captured behind the wall terraces. Mojave Crater, one of the freshest large craters on Mars, is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) in diameter. In a sense, it is like the Rosetta Stone of Martian craters, because it is so fresh. Other craters of this size generally have already been affected by erosion, sediment and other geologic process. Fresh craters like Mohave reveal information about the impact process, including ejecta, melting and deposits. WISE Spies a Comet with its Powerful Infrared Eye The red smudge at the center of this picture is the first comet discovered by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA February 11, 2010 NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, has discovered its first comet, one of many the mission is expected to find among millions of other objects during its ongoing survey of the whole sky in infrared light. wise satellite spies a comment
Jurassic Space:
February 18, 2010 Imagine finding a living dinosaur in your backyard. Astronomers have found the astronomical equivalent of prehistoric life in our intergalactic backyard: a group of small, ancient galaxies that has waited 10 billion years to come together. These "late bloomers" are on their way to building a large elliptical galaxy. Such encounters between dwarf galaxies are normally seen billions of light-years away and therefore occurred billions of years ago. But these galaxies, members of Hickson Compact Group 31, are relatively nearby, only 166 million light-years away .New images of this foursome by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope offer a window into the formative years of the universe, when the buildup of large galaxies from smaller building blocks was common. The analysis was bolstered by infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and ultraviolet observations from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and Swift satellite. Those data helped the astronomers measure the total amount of star formation in the system. For more information: http://hubblesite.org/news/2010/08 NASA's Stardust Burns for Comet, Less Than a Year Away February 18, 2010 PASADENA, Calif. - Just three days shy of one year before its planned flyby of comet Tempel 1, NASA's Stardust spacecraft has successfully performed a maneuver to adjust the time of its encounter by eight hours and 20 minutes. The delay maximizes the probability of the spacecraft capturing high-resolution images of the desired surface features of the 2.99-kilometer-wide (1.86 mile) potato-shaped mass of ice and dust. Cassini Set to Do Retinal Scan of Saturnian Eyeball
Mimas bears the mark of a violent, giant impact from the past - the 140-kilometer-wide (88-mile-wide) Herschel Crater - and scientists hope the encounter will help them explain why the moon was not blown to smithereens when the impact happened. They will also be trying to count smaller dings inside the basin of Herschel Crater so they can better estimate its age. In addition, Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer will be working to determine the thermal signature of the moon, and other instruments will be making measurements to learn more about the surface composition. The Mimas flyby involves a significant amount of skill because the spacecraft will be passing through a dusty region to get there. Mission managers have planned for the Cassini spacecraft to lead with its high-gain antenna to provide a barrier of protection. At closest approach, the spacecraft will be flying about 9,500 kilometers (5,900 miles) above the moon. Cassini will start taking images and measurements shortly after closest approach. Mimas is an inner moon of Saturn that averages 396 kilometers (246 miles) in diameter. The diameter of Herschel Crater is about one-third that of the entire moon. The walls of the crater are about 5 kilometers (3 miles) high, and parts of the floor are approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep. More information is available at http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. NASA Mars Spacecraft Snaps Photos Chosen by Public The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE camera, aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO, is nicknamed, "the people's camera." Through a program called HiWish that began in January, scientists have received approximately 1,000 suggestions. The first eight images of areas the public selected are available online at: http://uahirise.org/releases/hiwish-captions.php "NASA's Mars program is a prime example of what we call participatory exploration," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said. "To allow the public to aim a camera at a specific site on a distant world is an invaluable teaching tool that can help educate and inspire our youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math." Since 2006, HiRISE has obtained approximately 13,000 observations covering dozens of square miles, including areas from a student-suggestion program called NASA Quest. However, only about 1 percent of the Martian surface has been photographed. The public is encouraged to recommend sites for the other 99 percent. To make a suggestion, visit: http://uahirise.org/hiwish NASA has provided other opportunities for the public to see and explore Mars. A camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor imaged 1,086 targets suggested through a public-request program from 2003 until 2006. Launched on Nov. 7, 1996, the probe pioneered the use of aerobraking at Mars and mapped the surface. The original one-year mission was extended four times until November 2006. "Some people get into model railroading or Civil War re-enactments. My thing is exploring Mars," said James Secosky, a retired teacher in Manchester, N.Y., who suggested an area for HiRISE imaging after he examined online images from other Mars-orbiting cameras. Another camera aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has taken nearly 500 images after receiving approximately 1,400 suggestions through a public-request program initiated in 2009. Odyssey has been orbiting Mars since 2001. It serves as a communications relay for Mars rovers as well as making its own observations and discoveries. HiRISE is one of six instruments on MRO. Launched in August 2005, the orbiter reached Mars the following year to begin a two-year primary science mission. The spacecraft has found that Mars has had diverse wet environments at many locations for differing durations in the planet's history, and Martian climate-change cycles persist into the present era. The mission is in an extended science phase. The spacecraft will continue to take several thousand images a year. The mission has returned more data about Mars than all other spacecraft to the Red Planet combined. "What we hope is that people become more interested in science and appreciate this opportunity to explore another world," said Alfred McEwen, principal investigator for the camera at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "We appreciate fresh thinking outside the box and look for things we may not have chosen otherwise. It's good to have a lot of eyes on Mars." The University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory operates the HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages MRO for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. For more information about the MRO mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mro Hot Microwaves From Cool Fractals WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A little kitchen science ended with a new approach to microwave cooking for the Boston-based firm Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. Using a microwave oven to investigate properties of metamaterials, FRACTAL’s researchers found that a layer of doily-like conductive cutouts could evenly distribute the microwaves and remove the hotspots that plague microwave cooking. “but when cheaper designs made these a kitchen appliance it compromised on cooking evenly. This limits what you can cook and how well you can cook it. The food industry has been seeking a solution for years.” “Early microwave ovens worked quite well,” noted co-inventor Nathan Cohen, “but when cheaper designs made these a kitchen appliance it compromised on cooking evenly. This limits what you can cook and how well you can cook it. The food industry has been seeking a solution for years.” The innovation comes from the marriage of two exotic science applications—fractals and metamaterials. Fractals are intricate shapes built up by repeated applications of a simpler one, while metamaterials are composites made from close-spaced resonant shapes. By making the resonators out of fractals, the firm introduced a synergy that allowed a versatility of control and performance not achievable by other means. The firm calls these “metafractals™”. Added Cohen,” Think of it as an electric blanket for food, with nothing to plug in. The food can be placed on it or wrapped by it and get smooth cooking all around if desired, or focus on certain portions.” Built on a thin plastic sheet or into a serving tray, the metafractal™ solution looks like a plastic wrap with a decorative pattern, but each of the doily-like pieces is a fractal that acts as a wireless resonator that picks up the microwaves from the microwave’s ‘klystron’ and distributes it. The invention is thus passive, totally safe and is inexpensive to implement. It’s a natural to include in the in-microwave packaging of a ready to cook meals. An added “green” benefit of the metafractal™ solution is that the even-cooking cuts down the cooking time, saving energy. “A microwave is a power-hungry device, so cutting back how long you cook saves money, time, and carbon emissions,” commented Cohen. Based on patented and patent pending technology, the firm continues development based on feedback from the food industry. “Innovation means getting out of the laboratory, getting into the kitchen, and listening to the end-user, who will soon be our partners in this.” The firm expects the metafractal™ solution to be available in consumer products within the next two years. ABOUT FRACTAL ANTENNA SYSTEMS, INC. Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. (www.fractenna.com) supplies products for the world's most demanding wireless, and electromagnetic applications. Backed by over two dozen U.S., and international patents, plus dozens of patents pending, Fractal Antenna Systems is the recognized pioneer in fractal technology, with extensive research and field experience over 15 years in business. The company is a privately held and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. No Peep from Phoenix in Third Odyssey Listening Stint
Mars Odyssey and Phoenix Status Report PASADENA, Calif. -April 13, 2010- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter heard no signal from the Phoenix Mars Lander when it listened from orbit while passing over Phoenix 60 times last week. Odyssey had also listened for a signal from Phoenix during periods in January and February. During the third campaign, April 5 through April 9, the sun stayed above the horizon continuously at the arctic site where Phoenix completed its mission in 2008. The solar-powered lander examined ice, soil and atmosphere at the site for two months longer than its planned three-month mission before succumbing to seasonal decline in sunlight. It was not designed to withstand winter conditions. However, in case it did, NASA has used Odyssey to listen for the signals that Phoenix would have transmitted if abundant spring sunshine revived the lander. "In the unlikely event that Phoenix had survived the harsh Martian arctic winter and been able to achieve a power-positive state with the return of continuous sunshine, there is a very high likelihood that one or more of these 60 overflights would have overlapped with a transmission attempt by the lander," said Chad Edwards, chief telecommunications engineer for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "This was the last of our three planned Phoenix search campaigns. The Mars program will evaluate the results in hand to assess whether further action is warranted," Edwards said. 21st Century Space Exploration
April 15, 2010 at 05:36 PM EDT - This afternoon, President Obama visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to discuss the Administration’s goal to seek new frontiers for human space flight. The President declared that he is “100 percent committed to the mission of NASA and its future,” and laid out steps and investments that the Administration is making towards space exploration. NASA-FUNDED RESEARCH SUGGESTS VENUS IS GEOLOGICALLY ALIVE WASHINGTON -- For the first time, scientists have detected clear signs The observations reveal that volcanoes on Venus appeared to erupt The evidence comes from the European Space Agency's Venus Express Scientists see compositional differences compared to the surrounding "The geological history of Venus has long been a mystery," said Sue The volcanic provinces, or hotspots, on which Smrekar and her team Something is smoothing Venus' surface because the planet has only Smrekar and her team also discovered that several volcanic features in Scientists call Venus Earth's sister planet because of similarities in The small group of worlds in our solar system known to be volcanically NASA sponsored Smrekar's research. The European Space Agency built and American Scientist and Theoretical Chemist, Todd Gooch, Challenges the Russian Claim to Element 118 Cambridge, MA, April 18, 2010 --(PR.com)-- American Scientist and theoretical chemist, Todd Gooch, challenges the Russian claim to element 118, "I had already named element 118 Goochium, by convention for discerning its correct electronic structure first in March 2006, when I heard about the Russians making it in the lab in October 2006." Todd recently presented this information at the 239th American Chemical Society national meeting in San Francisco, CA last month. "I am reporting that the correct electronic structure for element 118 is [Rn] 5s2 5f24 7p6 and for the newly created element 117 is [Rn] 5s2 5f24 7p5," Todd quotes. "I have the complete 118 electronic structures for the table, and they are all completely linear as opposed to the non-linear exceptions to the Aufbau principle." Last month Todd reported at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Francisco, CA USA that he had indeed beaten the Russian group by several months and had discerned the structure around late February to early March of 2006. Todd says, "I advocated that the American Chemical Society adopt my structures and the pyramidal shape of my table in the face of my data, and I call for them to do so now. The data is quite conclusive, these structures are better than Lewis structures for representing atoms and molecules, no hybrid structures are required, and bonding is site specific on atoms in molecules and ions. The pyramidal shape of the table is far more symmetrical than the arrangement of the atoms on the current table, is symmetrical around atoms like carbon, allows for the actinide and lanthanide series to be included, and is set up for reaction chemistry. Further, bisecting the periodic table has led to a mathematical formula for predicting the number of atoms in any given period, y=2[(x-n)^2] where n=0,0,1,1,2,2 or n=0,1,2 for both odd and even x." Setting the record straight, "I named element 118 Goochium, by convention, for discerning its correct electronic structure in early March of 2006. I registered the copyright January 3, 2007 but there were plenty of people who witnessed me drawing these structures in March 2006, and my originals still exist." USA Todd Gooch gravitationalunittheory.org Is Recent Earthquake Activity Unusual? Scientists Say No.
China’s tragic magnitude 6.9 earthquake on April 13 and the recent devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Mexico, and elsewhere have many wondering if this earthquake activity is unusual. Scientists say 2010 is not showing signs of unusually high earthquake activity. Since 1900, an average of 16 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes — the size that seismologists define as major — have occurred worldwide each year. Some years have had as few as 6, as in 1986 and 1989, while 1943 had 32, with considerable variability from year to year. With six major earthquakes striking in the first four months of this year, 2010 is well within the normal range. Furthermore, from April 15, 2009, to April 14, 2010, there have been 18 major earthquakes, a number also well within the expected variation. “While the number of earthquakes is within the normal range, this does not diminish the fact that there has been extreme devastation and loss of life in heavily populated areas,” said USGS Associate Coordinator for Earthquake Hazards Dr. Michael Blanpied. What will happen next? Aftershocks will continue in the regions around each of this year’s major earthquakes sites. It is unlikely that any of these aftershocks will be larger than the earthquakes experienced so far, but structures damaged in the previous events could be further damaged and should be treated with caution. Beyond the ongoing aftershock sequences, earthquakes in recent months have not raised the likelihood of future major earthquakes; that likelihood has not decreased, either. Large earthquakes will continue to occur just as they have in the past. Though the recent earthquakes are not unusual, they are a stark reminder that earthquakes can produce disasters when they strike populated areas — especially areas where the buildings have not been designed to withstand strong shaking. What can you do to prepare? Scientists cannot predict the timing of specific earthquakes. However, families and communities can improve their safety and reduce their losses by taking actions to make their homes, places of work, schools and businesses as earthquake-safe as possible. The USGS provides information on how you can prepare at the Earthquake Hazards Program Web site. NASA'S STARRY-EYED HUBBLE TELESCOPE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF DISCOVERY
WASHINGTON -- As the Hubble Space Telescope achieves the major
milestone of two decades on orbit, NASA and the Space Telescope
Science Institute, or STScI, in Baltimore are celebrating Hubble's
journey of exploration with a stunning new picture and several online
educational activities. There are also opportunities for people to
explore galaxies as armchair scientists and send personal greetings
to Hubble for posterity. NRL Researchers Study Galaxy Mergers WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have solved a long-standing dilemma about the mass of infrared bright merging galaxies. Dr. Barry Rothberg and Dr. Jacqueline Fischer used new data from the 8-meter Gemini-South telescope in Chile along with earlier results from the W. M. Keck-2 10-meter and University of Hawaii 2.2-meter telescopes in Hawaii and archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope, to solve the problem. They have published a paper on their research findings on galaxy evolution in the Astrophysical Journal (March 20, 2010 Volume 712). Galaxies in the Universe generally come in two shapes, spiral, like our own Milky Way, and elliptical, in which the stars move in random orbits. The largest galaxies in the Universe are elliptical in shape and how they formed is central to our understanding how the Universe has evolved over the last 15 billion years. The long-standing theory has been that spiral galaxies merge with each other forming most of the elliptical galaxies in the Universe. Spiral galaxies contain significant amounts of cold hydrogen gas. When they merge, the beautiful spiral patterns are destroyed and the gas is converted into new stars and with it, large amounts of dust. The dust is heated by the young stars and radiates energy at infrared wavelengths. Until recently scientists thought that these infrared bright merging galaxies were not massive enough to be the precursors of most elliptical galaxies in the Universe. The conventional method of measuring mass in dusty IR-bright galaxies uses near-infrared light, which can penetrate dust, to measure the random motions of old-stars. The larger the random motions, the more mass is present. When spirals merge, gas from both galaxies forms a central rotating disk which then forms new stars. These young stars outshine the old stars at near-infrared wavelengths making it appear as if the old stars have less random motion. Rothberg and Fischer instead observed the random motions of old stars at shorter wavelengths effectively using the dust to block the light from the young stars. Their new results showed that the old stars in merging galaxies have large random motions, which means they will eventually become very massive elliptical galaxies. FWC reports encouraging news for Florida panthers
With spring in full bloom, some positive signs have emerged about Florida's endangered panther. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) have been busy documenting active Florida panther dens filled with kittens. A total of four dens, with three kittens apiece, have been documented so far in 2010. These particular dens were found in palmetto thickets in Picayune Strand State Forest and BCNP in Collier County. The births are significant because they offset panther deaths and hopefully mean the population will continue to grow. The panthers' numbers declined to approximately 30 cats by the early 1980s, but research and monitoring by FWC biologists have helped in restoring the genetic health and vigor of the panther population. Florida panthers breed throughout the year, but peak activity occurs in the spring. Biologists attempt to visit the dens when the kittens are approximately 2 weeks old. At that time, litter size and composition are noted, samples (skin, hair, blood, fecal) are taken for genetic testing and health screening, transponders are inserted for identification purposes. This information helps biologists learn about the genetic structure of the population. Also oral deworming medication is administered to help give the kittens a healthy start. The kittens stay in the den for about two months, after which they begin following their mother to kills and begin the weaning process. Kittens stay with their mother for about 14 months. Females set up a home range near or overlapping their mother's home range. Males disperse away from their natal range, sometimes covering hundreds of miles before settling into their own home range. Lunar Polar Craters May Be Electrified MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – As the solar wind flows over natural obstructions on the moon, it may charge polar lunar craters to hundreds of volts, according to new calculations by NASA’s Lunar Science Institute team. Obama predicts expedition to Mars in his lifetime
The President declared on Thursday that he expected to see an expedition to Mars in his lifetime. Florida (WiredPRNews.com)2010-04-16 04:14:58 (GMT) – President Barack Obama declared on Thursday that he expected to see an expedition to Mars in his lifetime. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the president spoke at the Kennedy Space Center regarding his new space exploration plans. Obama is quoted by the AP as stating that a new spacecraft would be developed by 2025 that is “designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space.” Obama is further quoted in the report as stating, “We’ll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history… By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it.” Madrid Welcomes Art of Power - LateRooms.com A collection of armoury and weapons is being displayed alongside pieces of artwork in the Museo Nacional del Prado. MADRID, SPAIN, April 25, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Travellers keen on history and the details of how people lived in the past may wish to stop in at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, where a fascinating exhibition is on show called the Art of Power - Royal Armour and Portraits from Imperial Spain. Running until May 23rd, the artefacts presented in this collection have been gathered together from the Royal Armoury in Spain and are shown alongside paintings that offer context about how weapons and armour are seen by certain artists. The Royal Armoury was mostly developed by Emperor Charles V and Philip II during the 14th century and holds a vast collection of tools of war, as well as other military items. Any art lovers attending the exhibition from their Madrid hotels will be able to see equipment such as an embossed helmet from the Muhlberg Armour and the painting Charles V in Armour by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz. "Founded at the height of the Spanish monarchy's international power and splendour, the Royal Armoury in Madrid is the oldest and one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world," noted the venue. Tickets to enter the establishment are EUR8 (GBP7.10), with the building opening from 09:00 to 20:00 (local time) every day except Mondays and some bank holidays, when it is closed. If you're heading to the Art of Power this year, we strongly advise that you book your hoteles Madrid as soon as possible, given the huge popularity of the event. One of Saturn's moons is spitting something!
Dramatic plumes, both large and small, spray water ice out from many locations along the famed "tiger stripes" near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The tiger stripes are fissures that spray icy particles, water vapor and organic compounds. More than 30 individual jets of different sizes can be seen in this image and more than 20 of them had not been identified before. At least one jet spouting prominently in previous images now appears less powerful. This mosaic was created from two high-resolution images that were captured by the narrow-angle camera when NASA's Cassini spacecraft flew past Enceladus and through the jets on Nov. 21, 2009. (For other images captured during the same flyby, see PIA11686 and PIA11687). Imaging the jets over time will allow Cassini scientists to study the consistency of their activity. The south pole of the moon lies near the limb in the top left quadrant of the mosaic, near the large jet that is second from left. Lit terrain seen here is on the leading hemisphere of Enceladus (504 kilometers, 313 miles across). Cassini scientists continue to study the question of whether reservoirs of liquid water exist beneath the surface of the moon. See PIA11114 and PIA08386 to learn more. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 14,000 kilometers (9,000 miles) from Enceladus and at a sun-Enceladus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 145 degrees. Image scale is 81 meters (267 feet) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org .Credit: NASA/JPL/SSI Cassini Shoots New Close-Ups
February 16, 2010 Blazing through its closest pass of the Saturnian moon Mimas on Feb. 13, Cassini sent back striking close-ups of the moon likened to the Death Star from "Star Wars" and the enormous crater scarring its surface. The flyby also yielded solid data on the moon's thermal signature and surface composition.
The images, which have the highest resolution so far, also show jumbled terrain inside the crater and many craters within the crater. These features hint at a long history, which scientists will be working diligently to analyze. "This flyby has been like looking at a cell or an onion skin under the microscope for the first time," said Bonnie Buratti, one of the leads for the Satellite Orbiter Science Team. "We'd seen the large crater from afar since the early 1980s, but now its small bumps and blemishes are all clearly visible." This encounter took the spacecraft as close as about 9,500 kilometers (5,900 miles) above Mimas. Cassini had to maneuver through a dusty region to get in position, but survived the trip unscathed, as expected. The moon averages 396 kilometers (246 miles) in diameter. The walls of Herschel Crater are about 5 kilometers (3 miles) high, and parts of the floor are approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep. Unprocessed images of the flyby are available at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/raw/. More information about the Cassini mission is at http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. NASA Orbiter Penetrates Mysteries of Martian Ice Cap
PASADENA, Calif. -May 26, 2010- Data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have helped scientists solve a pair of mysteries dating back four decades and provided new information about climate change on the Red Planet. The Shallow Radar, or SHARAD, instrument aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed subsurface geology allowing scientists to reconstruct the formation of a large chasm and a series of spiral troughs on the northern ice cap of Mars. The findings appear in two papers in the May 27 issue of the journal Nature. "SHARAD is giving us a beautifully detailed view of ice deposits, whether at the poles or buried in mid-latitudes, as they changed on Mars over the last few million years," said Rich Zurek, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. On Earth, large ice sheets are shaped mainly by ice flow. According to this latest research, other forces have shaped, and continue to shape, polar ice caps on Mars. The northern ice cap is a stack of ice and dust layers up to two miles deep, covering an area slightly larger than Texas. Analyzing radar data on a computer, scientists can peel back the layers like an onion to reveal how the ice cap evolved over time. One of the most distinctive features of the northern ice cap is Chasma Boreale, a canyon about as long as Earth's Grand Canyon but deeper and wider. Some scientists believe Chasma Boreale was created when volcanic heat melted the bottom of the ice sheet and triggered a catastrophic flood. Others suggest strong polar winds carved the canyon out of a dome of ice. Other enigmatic features of the ice cap are troughs that spiral outward from the center like a gigantic pinwheel. Since the troughs were discovered in 1972, scientists have proposed several hypotheses about how they formed. Perhaps as Mars spins, ice closer to the poles moves slower than ice farther away, causing the semi-fluid ice to crack. Perhaps, as one mathematical model suggests, increased solar heating in certain areas and lateral heat conduction could cause the troughs to assemble. Data from Mars now points to both the canyon and spiral troughs being created and shaped primarily by wind. Rather than being cut into existing ice very recently, the features formed over millions of years as the ice sheet grew. By influencing wind patterns, the shape of underlying, older ice controlled where and how the features grew. "Nobody realized that there would be such complex structures in the layers," said Jack Holt, of the University of Texas at Austin's Institute for Geophysics. Holt is the lead author of the paper focusing on Chasma Boreale. "The layers record a history of ice accumulation, erosion and wind transport. From that, we can recover a history of climate that's much more detailed than anybody expected." The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched on Aug. 12, 2005. SHARAD and the spacecraft's five other instruments began science operations in November 2006. "These anomalous features have gone unexplained for 40 years because we have not been able to see what lies beneath the surface," said Roberto Seu, Shallow Radar team leader at the University of Rome. "It is gratifying to me that with this new instrument we can finally explain them." The MRO mission is managed by JPL for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA's Headquarters in Washington. The Shallow Radar instrument was provided by the Italian Space Agency, and its operations are led by the InfoCom Department, University of Rome. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif.
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