Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p22a..07h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P22A-07
Mathematics
Logic
[5410] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Composition, [5418] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Heat Flow, [5464] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Remote Sensing, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars
Scientific paper
Martian thermal state and evolution depend principally on the heat-producing element distributions in the planet’s crust and mantle, specifically the incompatible radiogenic isotopes of K, Th, and U. Normally these elements are preferentially sequestered into a planet’s crust during differentiation, and this is especially true for Mars, which possesses a thick and mostly ancient crust that is proportionally large with respect to the planet’s total volume. The Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) instrument on board the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft can detect all three of these elements and has been used to map the K and Th abundances across nearly the entire Martian surface. It has been estimated that as much as 50% or more of the Martian planetary budget of heat producing elements has seen sequestered into the crust during planetary differentiation due to their incompatibility in igneous processes; a process that mostly took place very early in Martian geological history. As such, the crustal component of heat flow represents as much as half of the total planetary output of radiogenic heat. While GRS measurements can not constrain heat flow from mantle sources, previous work calculated the average crustal component of heat flow of 6.43 mW/m2 based on radiogenic elemental abundances. Orbital GRS data are of lower spatial resolution (5°x5° per pixel) than most other orbital remote sensing instruments and, accordingly, are best suited for global or large, regional-scale studies, rather than detailed, local analyses of geographically small features and landforms. Here we present detailed calculations for specific, areally-large, regions and geologic provinces on Mars, reporting the present-day crustal component of heat flow, the crustal heat flow at time of regional formation, and constraints of geothermal gradients from these measurements.
Hahn Brian C.
McLennan Scott M.
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