Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8135077 | Icarus | 2016 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
We compare spectra of the highlands swirl Gerasimovich with mature and immature low-Fe highlands regions as measured by LAMP and show that the swirl itself does not have the spectral characteristics of either the mature or the immature regions. Mature, weathered highlands regions are spectrally blue in the FUV; immature highlands are less blue, especially at wavelengths >Â â¼160Â nm. In contrast, the Gerasimovich swirl is spectrally red at wavelengths >Â â¼160Â nm. We also compare Reiner Gamma, a mare swirl, with mature and immature high-Ti mare regions as measured by LAMP. We find that the mature and immature high-Ti mare regions are spectrally indistinguishable while the Reiner Gamma spectra are less blue at wavelengths >Â â¼160Â nm. We conclude that both swirls (Reiner Gamma and Gerasimovich) are consistent with less mature spectra than the immature terrains studied here, in accordance with the lower amounts of weathering expected in a solar wind standoff scenario. However, the swirl spectra are also consistent with greater abundances of feldspathic material, as we show that anorthite exhibits a characteristic red spectrum at wavelengths >Â â¼160Â nm. Thus, the LAMP data are also consistent with a model wherein compositional sorting occurs at swirls.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
A.R. Hendrix, T.K. Greathouse, K.D. Retherford, K.E. Mandt, G.R. Gladstone, D.E. Kaufmann, D.M. Hurley, P.D. Feldman, W.R. Pryor, S.A. Stern, J.T.S. Cahill,