Geology topics

Kynan H. G. Hughson

Publications and source records attributed to Kynan H. G. Hughson.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2022

Planetary caves: A Solar System view of processes and products

We provide the first solar system wide compendium of speleogenic processes and products. An examination of 15 solar system bodies revealed that six cave-forming processes occur beyond Earth including volcanic (cryo and magmatic), fracturing (tectonic and impact melt), dissolution, sublimation, suffusion, and landslides. Although no caves (i.e., confirmed entrances with associated linear passages) have been confirmed, 3,545 SAPs (subsurface access points) have been identified on 11 planetary bodies and the potential for speleogenic processes (and thus SAPs) was observed on an additional four planetary bodies. The bulk of our knowledge on extraterrestrial SAPs is based upon global databases for the Moon and Mars, which are bodies for which high-resolution imagery and other data are available. To further characterize most of the features beyond the Moon and Mars, acquisition (preferably global coverage) and subsequent analysis of high-resolution imagery will be required. The next few decades hold considerable promise for identifying and potentially characterizing caves across the solar system.

JGR Planets↗

USGS2018

Floor-fractured craters on Ceres and implications for interior processes

Several of the impact craters on Ceres have sets of fractures on their floors. These fractures appear similar to those found within a class of lunar craters referred to as floor-fractured craters (FFCs). We have cataloged the Ceres FFCs according to the classification scheme designed for the Moon. An analysis of the depth to diameter ratio for Ceres craters shows that, like lunar FFCs, the Ceres FFCs are anomalously shallow. Large (>50 km) Ceres FFCs are most consistent with Class 1 lunar FFCs, while smaller craters on Ceres are more consistent with Class 4 lunar FFCs. This suggests that Ceres FFCs may similarly be undergoing fracturing due to the intrusion of a low-density material below the craters. While on the Moon (and Mars) the intrusive material is hypothesized to be silicate magma, cryomagmatic intrusions are more likely responsible for the formation of the Ceres FFCs. However, new models suggest that at least some of the FFC fractures may have formed due to the solid-state flow of a low-viscosity and low-density material into the crater wall.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗