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Results for “The Moon”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

USGS1986

Voyager 2 in the Uranian system: Imaging science results

Voyager 2 images of the southern hemisphere of Uranus indicate that submicrometersize haze particles and particles of a methane condensation cloud produce faint patterns in the atmosphere. The alignment of the cloud bands is similar to that of bands on Jupiter and Saturn, but the zonal winds are nearly opposite. At mid-latitudes (-70° to -27°), where winds were measured, the atmosphere rotates faster than the magnetic field; however, the rotation rate of the atmosphere decreases toward the equator, so that the two probably corotate at about -20°. Voyager images confirm the extremely low albedo of the ring particles. High phase angle images reveal on the order of 10 2 new ringlike features of very low optical depth and relatively high dust abundance interspersed within the main rings, as well as a broad, diffuse, low optical depth ring just inside the main ring system. Nine of the newly discovered small satellites (40 to 165 kilometers in diameter) orbit between the rings and Miranda; the tenth is within the ring system. Two of these small objects may gravitationally confine the ε ring. Oberon and Umbriel have heavily cratered surfaces resembling the ancient cratered highlands of Earth's moon, although Umbriel is almost completely covered with uniform dark material, which perhaps indicates some ongoing process. Titania and Ariel show crater populations different from those on Oberon and Umbriel; these were probably generated by collisions with debris confined to their orbits. Titania and Ariel also show many extensional fault systems; Ariel shows strong evidence for the presence of extrusive material. About half of Miranda's surface is relatively bland, old, cratered terrain. The remainder comprises three large regions of younger terrain, each rectangular to ovoid in plan, that display complex sets of parallel and intersecting scarps and ridges as well as numerous outcrops of bright and dark materials, perhaps suggesting some exotic composition.

Science↗

USGS1992

A prediction of Mars seismicity from surface faulting

The shallow seismicity of Mars has been estimated by measurement of the total slip on faults visible on the surface of the planet throughout geologic time. Seismicity was calibrated with estimates based on surface structures on the moon and measured lunar seismicity that includes the entire seismogenic lithosphere. Results indicate that Mars is seismically active today, with a sufficient number of detectable marsquakes to allow seismic investigations of its interior.

Science↗

USGS2000

A close-up look at Io from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer

Infrared spectral images of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, acquired during the October and November 1999 and February 2000 flybys of the Galileo spacecraft, were used to study the thermal structure and sulfur dioxide distribution of active volcanoes. Loki Patera, the solar system's most powerful known volcano, exhibits large expanses of dark, cooling lava on its caldera floor. Prometheus, the site of long-lived plume activity, has two major areas of thermal emission, which support ideas of plume migration. Sulfur dioxide deposits were mapped at local scales and show a more complex relationship to surface colors than previously thought, indicating the presence of other sulfur compounds.

Science↗

USGS1972

Paleomagnetism and potassium-argon ages of the Sonoma Volcanics, California

Paleomagnetic data and potassium-argon ages indicate that the Sonoma Volcanics was erupted during the Pliocene Gilbert reversed and Gauss normal polarity epochs. The Gilbert reversed epoch is represented in the Howell Mountains east of Napa and east of St. Helena, in the mountains immediately east of the Valley of the Moon, and on the hill just north of Santa Rosa. The Gauss normal epoch is represented by the rocks from Mount St. Helena and possibly by the flows from the upper part of Sonoma Mountain and the rhyolite flows north of Sonoma. The age of the volcanic rocks ranges from 5.3 m.y. to about 2.9 m.y. Volcanic rocks approximately 11.8 m.y. old occur at Burdell Mountain northwest of Novato. This volcanic sequence is probably part of the Tolay Volcanics of the Petaluma area.

California↗

USGS2008

Track of the Yellowstone hotspot: Young and ongoing geologic processes from the Snake River Plain to the Yellowstone Plateau and Tetons

This field trip highlights various stages in the evolution of the Snake River Plain–Yellowstone Plateau bimodal volcanic province, and associated faulting and uplift, also known as the track of the Yellowstone hotspot. The 16 Ma Yellowstone hotspot track is one of the few places on Earth where time-transgressive processes on continental crust can be observed in the volcanic and tectonic (faulting and uplift) record at the rate and direction predicted by plate motion. Recent interest in young and possible renewed volcanism at Yellowstone along with new discoveries and synthesis of previous studies, i.e., tomographic, deformation, bathymetric, and seismic surveys, provide a framework of evidence of plate motion over a mantle plume. This 3-day trip is organized to present an overview into volcanism and tectonism in this dynamically active region. Field trip stops will include the young basaltic Craters of the Moon, exposures of 12–4 Ma rhyolites and edges of their associated collapsed calderas on the Snake River Plain, and exposures of faults which show an age progression similar to the volcanic fields. An essential stop is Yellowstone National Park, where the last major caldera-forming event occurred 640,000 years ago and now is host to the world's largest concentration of hydrothermal features (>10,000 hot springs and geysers). This trip presents a quick, intensive overview into volcanism and tectonism in this dynamically active region. Field stops are directly linked to conceptual models related to hotspot passage through this volcano-tectonic province. Features that may reflect a tilted thermal mantle plume suggested in recent tomographic studies will be examined. The drive home will pass through Grand Teton National Park, where the Teton Range is currently rising in response to the passage of the North American plate over the Yellowstone hotspot.

Idaho, Wyoming↗

USGS1982

Collision of astronomically observable bodies with the Earth

There are at present about 1,000 Earth-crossing bodies of asteroidal appearance that have diameters greater than 1 km. It is calculated that on the average about 3 of these bodies impact the Earth every million years. Because there are many more small bodies than large ones, impacts of 10-km-diameter objects, as postulated by Alvarez and others to explain the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction, occur less frequently. Nevertheless, it is expected that the frequency of impact of these larger bodies will be about once every 40 million years. The cratering record on the Earth and the Moon is in agreement with this estimate. It is likely that bodies as large as 20 km in diameter have struck the Earth during the last 3 billion years. A somewhat smaller but possibly comparable impact rate of active comet nuclei of similar size is also expected. The bodies of asteroidal appearance represent a quasi-steady-state population. Losses by collision and perturbation out of the solar system are balanced by supply on a 10 7 to 10 8 year time scale of new objects: asteroidal fragments and extinct comet nuclei. The relative importance of these two sources is at present uncertain.

Special Papers of the Geological Society of Americ↗

USGS2023

The role of giant impacts in planet formation

Planets are expected to conclude their growth through a series of giant impacts: energetic, global events that significantly alter planetary composition and evolution. Computer models and theory have elucidated the diverse outcomes of giant impacts in detail, improving our ability to interpret collision conditions from observations of their remnants. However, many open questions remain, as even the formation of the Moon—a widely suspected giant-impact product for which we have the most information—is still debated. We review giant-impact theory, the diverse nature of giant-impact outcomes, and the governing physical processes. We discuss the importance of computer simulations, informed by experiments, for accurately modeling the impact process. Finally, we outline how the application of probability theory and computational advancements can assist in inferring collision histories from observations, and we identify promising opportunities for advancing giant-impact theory in the future. Giant impacts exhibit diverse possible outcomes leading to changes in planetary mass, composition, and thermal history depending on the conditions. Improvements to computer simulation methodologies and new laboratory experiments provide critical insights into the detailed outcomes of giant impacts. When colliding planets are similar in size, they can merge or escape one another with roughly equal probability, but with different effects on their resulting masses, densities, and orbits. Different sequences of giant impacts can produce similar planets, encouraging the use of probability theory to evaluate distinct formation hypothesis.

Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Science↗

USGS1999

Ups and downs in planetary science

The field of planetary science as it developed during the lifetimes of Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker has sustained a period of exciting growth. Surveying the skies for planet-crossing asteroids and comets and studying the results of their impact upon the planets, especially the Earth, was for Gene and Carolyn an intense and satisfying quest for knowledge. It all started when Gene envisioned man going to the Moon, especially himself. After that, one thing led to another: the study of nuclear craters and a comparison with Meteor Crater, Arizona; the Apollo project and a succession of unmanned space missions to the inner and outer planets; an awareness of cratering throughout our solar system; the search for near-Earth asteroids and comets; a study of ancient craters in Australia; and the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter. The new paradigm of impact cratering as a cause for mass extinction and the opening of space for the development of new life forms have been causes to champion.

Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences↗

USGS2013

At-sea behavior varies with lunar phase in a nocturnal pelagic seabird, the swallow-tailed gull

Strong and predictable environmental variability can reward flexible behaviors among animals. We used long-term records of activity data that cover several lunar cycles to investigate whether behavior at-sea of swallow-tailed gulls Creagrus furcatus, a nocturnal pelagic seabird, varied with lunar phase in the Galápagos Islands. A Bayesian hierarchical model showed that nighttime at-sea activity of 37 breeding swallow-tailed gulls was clearly associated with changes in moon phase. Proportion of nighttime spent on water was highest during darker periods of the lunar cycle, coinciding with the cycle of the diel vertical migration (DVM) that brings prey to the sea surface at night. Our data show that at-sea behavior of a tropical seabird can vary with environmental changes, including lunar phase.

PLoS ONE↗

USGS2007

Using multiple gears to assess acoustic detectability and biomass of fish species in lake superior

Recent predator demand and prey supply studies suggest that an annual daytime bottom trawl survey of Lake Superior underestimates prey fish biomass. A multiple-gear (acoustics, bottom trawl, and midwater trawl) nighttime survey has been recommended, but before abandoning a long-term daytime survey the effectiveness of night sampling of important prey species must be verified. We sampled three bottom depths (30, 60, and 120 m) at a Lake Superior site where the fish community included all commercially and ecologically important species. Day and night samples were collected within 48 h at all depths during eight different periods (one new and one full moon period during both early summer and late summer to early fall over 2 years). Biomass of demersal and benthic species was higher in night bottom trawl samples than in day bottom trawl samples. Night acoustic collections showed that pelagic fish typically occupied water cooler than 15°C and light levels less than 0.001 lx. Using biomass in night bottom trawls and acoustic biomass above the bottom trawl path, we calculated an index of acoustic detectability for each species. Ciscoes Coregonus artedi , kiyis C. kiyi , and rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax left the bottom at night, whereas bloaters C. hoyi stayed nearer the bottom. We compared the biomass of important prey species estimated with two survey types: day bottom trawls and night estimates of the entire water column (bottom trawl biomass plus acoustic biomass). The biomass of large ciscoes (>200 mm) was significantly greater when measured at night than when measured during daylight, but the differences for other sizes of important species did not vary significantly by survey type. Nighttime of late summer is a period when conditions for biomass estimation are largely invariant, and all important prey species can be sampled using a multiple-gear approach.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2000

Rapid distribution of earthquake information for everybody

No matter who you are, seismologist or regular person on the street, when you feel the Earth move you want to know what's going on. Was it an earthquake? Where was the earthquake? How big was it? As a grad student, many moons ago, when the Earth moved, the Electronic Seismologist (ES) was known to immediately turn on the “AM/FM-Automatic-Earthquake-Locator.” Before the seismograms could be pulled off the photographic drums, developed, and read and an “official” hypocenter determined (using a large map and a piece of string to swing arcs), the radio would usually have reported a location. Individuals feeling the earthquake would have called radio and TV stations (not to mention the police, newspapers, and sometimes the seismograph station), reported feeling something, and described what it was like. Reporters taking these calls got pretty good at estimating roughly where the event was, and they sometimes came up with a fairly good estimate of the magnitude. This seat-of-the-pants radio-seismology is fast becoming a lost art. Reporters now race to their computers and point their Web browsers at the nearest seismic network where they can count on finding, within minutes, an automatic but “official” location and magnitude for the earthquake.

Seismological Research Letters↗

USGS2012

An atlas of Mars sedimentary rocks as seen by HiRISE

Images of distant and unknown places have long stimulated the imaginations of both explorers and scientists. The atlas of photographs collected during the Hayden (1872) expedition to the Yellowstone region was essential to its successful advocacy and selection in 1872 as America’s first national park. Photographer William Henry Jackson of the Hayden expedition captured the public’s imagination and support, returning home with a treasure of images that confirmed the existence of western landmarks previously regarded as glorified myths: the Grand Tetons, Old Faithful, and strange pools of boiling hot mud. Fifty years later, photographer Ansel Adams began his long legacy of providing the public with compilations of iconic images of natural wonders that many only see in prints. Photography in space has provided its own bounty. Who can forget the first image of Earthrise taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968 from Apollo 8; the solemnity of the first photos of the surface of the Moon from the Apollo 11 astronauts; and the startling discovery of the tallest mountain in the solar system (Olympus Mons) on the surface of Mars in images sent from Mariner 9? The images from Mariner 9 also allowed for a game-changing discovery. Earlier, based on very limited Mariner 4 data that covered less than 10% of the planet’s surface, Chapman et al. (1968) speculated that “If substantial aqueous erosion features—such as river valleys— were produced during earlier epochs of Mars, we should not expect any trace of them to be visible.

Book chapter↗

USGS2011

Book review: Hollowed ground—Copper mining and community building on Lake Superior, 1840s–1990s

In 1843, six years before the Forty-niners headed west for the goldfields of California, the United States’ first great mineral rush began to a land that was, as Patrick Henry told Congress, “beyond the most distant wilderness and remote as the moon.” He was referring to the Keweenaw Peninsula of northern Michigan. This rush was not for gold or silver, but for copper. And not just any copper, but native copper, so pure it required little refining before use. The early horde of fortune-seekers came with visions of finding mountains of solid copper, spurred on by stories of large masses of “float copper” that included the famous Ontonagon Boulder, a large mass of native copper originally found lying 32 km up the steep and rugged valley of the Ontonagon River (and now gathering dust in the Smithsonian Museum).

Economic Geology↗

USGS2007

Solidification and microstructures of binary ice-I/hydrate eutectic aggregates

The microstructures of two-phase binary aggregates of ice-I + salt-hydrate, prepared by eutectic solidification, have been characterized by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (CSEM). The specific binary systems studied were H 2 O-Na 2 SO 4 , H 2 O-MgSO 4 , H 2 O-NaCl, and H 2 O-H 2 SO 4 ; these were selected based on their potential application to the study of tectonics on the Jovian moon Europa. Homogeneous liquid solutions of eutectic compositions were undercooled modestly (ΔT ~ 1.5 °C); similarly cooled crystalline seeds of the same composition were added to circumvent the thermodynamic barrier to nucleation and to control eutectic growth under (approximately) isothermal conditions. CSEM revealed classic eutectic solidification microstructures with the hydrate phase forming continuous lamellae, discontinuous lamellae, or forming the matrix around rods of ice-I, depending on the volume fractions of the phases and their entropy of dissolving and forming a homogeneous aqueous solution. We quantify aspects of the solidification behavior and microstructures for each system and, with these data, articulate anticipated effects of the microstructure on the mechanical responses of the materials.

American Mineralogist↗

USGS1985

Light attraction in endangered procellariiform birds: Reduction by shielding upward radiation

Autumnal attraction to man-made lighting causes heavy mortality in fledgling Hawaiian seabirds: Newell's Shearwater ( Puffinus auricularis newelli ), Dark-rumped Petrel ( Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis ), and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma castro ). These threatened, endangered, and rare species (respectively) approach and circle lights on their first flight from mountain nesting colonies on the island of Kauai to the sea. We shielded lights of the largest resort to prevent upward radiation on alternate nights during two fledgling seasons. Shielding decreased attraction by nearly 40%. Most attraction occurred 1-4 h after sunset. Full moon dramatically decreased attraction, a phenomenon that has both theoretical and management implications.

The Auk↗

USGS2015

Astronomical observations of volatiles on asteroids

We have long known that water and hydroxyl are important components in meteorites and asteroids. However, in the time since the publication of Asteroids III, evolution of astronomical instrumentation, laboratory capabilities, and theoretical models have led to great advances in our understanding of H 2 O/OH on small bodies, and spacecraft observations of the Moon and Vesta have important implications for our interpretations of the asteroidal population. We begin this chapter with the importance of water/OH in asteroids, after which we will discuss their spectral features throughout the visible and near-infrared. We continue with an overview of the findings in meteorites and asteroids, closing with a discussion of future opportunities, the results from which we can anticipate finding in Asteroids V. Because this topic is of broad importance to asteroids, we also point to relevant in-depth discussions elsewhere in this volume.

Book chapter↗

USGS1997

The NASA atlas of the solar system

Describes every planet, moon, and body that has been the subject of a NASA mission, including images of 30 solar system objects and maps of 26 objects. The presentation includes geologic history, geologic and reference maps, and shaded relief maps.

Report↗

USGS2005

USGS maps

Discover a small sample of the millions of maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in its mission to map the Nation and survey its resources. This booklet gives a brief overview of the types of maps sold and distributed by the USGS through its Earth Science Information Centers (ESIC) and also available from business partners located in most States. The USGS provides a wide variety of maps, from topographic maps showing the geographic relief and thematic maps displaying the geology and water resources of the United States, to special studies of the moon and planets.

General Information Product↗