Tag Archives: thermal inertia

Daedalia Planum flows combine dusty surfaces and exposed lava outcrops

Posted on July 29, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Christine Simurda and two co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] The Unusual Thermophysical and Surface Properties of the Daedalia Planum Lava Flows • Unusual thermophysical variations are present on lava flows … Continue reading →

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North polar residual ice cap has recent snow-like surface

Posted on May 24, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Jonathan Bapst and three co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] Thermophysical Properties of the North Polar Residual Cap using Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer • We identify residual water ice … Continue reading →

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North residual polar cap holds both old dense ice and fresh snow

Posted on April 19, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Jonathan Bapst and three co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] Thermophysical Properties of the North Polar Residual Cap using MGS TES • We identify residual water ice with elevated surface porosity … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Interesting texture & thermal properties

Posted on January 27, 2017 by rburnham

Interesting texture and thermal properties. Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: What’s a high thermal-inertia surface?

Posted on April 9, 2015 by rburnham

What do we mean when we describe a surface as having “high thermal inertia”? The term refers to the ability of a material to conduct and store heat, and in planetary science, its measure of the subsurface’s ability to store … Continue reading →

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Cold dust, warm rock: sharpest map ever of Mars surface properties

Posted on July 15, 2014 by rburnham

More than 20,000 THEMIS nighttime infrared images have been merged and blended into the sharpest map ever made of Mars’ surface properties. The work is a collaboration between Arizona State University and Robin Fergason of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology … Continue reading →

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Mars’ explosive childhood

Posted on December 14, 2012 by rburnham

Mars is widely understood to be a volcanic planet — its surface shows abundant evidence of volcanic activity, both ancient and more recent. Spacecraft detect lava flows in many locations, and spectroscopic evidence of volcanic rocks lies almost everywhere. The … Continue reading →

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Hurtling moon casts no cooling shadow

Posted on November 26, 2012 by rburnham

Total solar eclipses on Earth take hours to unfold, even if totality — the brief time when all the Sun is covered — lasts just a few minutes. Almost everyone who stands in the path of a solar eclipse notes … Continue reading →

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