Evolutionary Landscapes and Resurfacing Processes of Planetary Surfaces

Abstract

Geomorphology is the study of features on the surface of Earth and other planetary bodies. It is an important tool to study the evolution of solar system bodies, and how they relate to what we know about Earth. Spacecraft exploration has provided high-quality data leading to unprecedented discoveries about the geological inner-workings of other planets, moons, and bodies of the solar system. This dissertation presents a multi-faceted study of current geomorphology on planetary surfaces and how it can be used to determine past geologic history where little or no field data exists. This includes (1) using imagery to observe types of surface features, (2) analyzing how features are distributed over a planetary surface, (3) identifying processes that can cause local resurfacing on planetary surfaces, and (4) modeling how such processes may have altered the appearance of planetary surfaces. This dissertation has two main planetary focuses: (1) Mars, specifically the northern lowlands, and (2) Europa and the icy satellites. In Chapter 1, I summarize the state of knowledge about the northern plains on Mars and their past geologic history. I also summarize the current knowledge about Europa and the processes suggested to be active on the icy satellites. In Chapter 2, I present a study of pitted cones and their population alignments within Utopia Planitia (a northern plains’ basin) on Mars, along with a local geomorphologic map. In Chapter 3, I present the first global dataset of pitted cones on Mars using a deep learning technique. In Chapter 4, I study band-like features on the surface of Mars and use modeling to explore how they may have formed. In Chapter 5, I investigate how seismic shaking may be resurfacing local regions on icy satellites. In Chapter 6, I present the conclusions of this dissertation research and its implications for the remaining questions about planetary surfaces. Chapter 7 contains appendices and author contributions. Chapter 8 contains references.