NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Spectral analysis of the gravity and topography of MarsNew spherical harmonic models of the gravity and topography of Mars place important constraints on the structure and dynamics of the interior. The gravity and topography models are significantly phase coherent for harmonic degrees n less than 30 (wavelengths greater than 700 km). Loss of coherence below that wavelength is presumably due to inadequacies of the models, rather than a change in behavior of the planet. The gravity/topography admittance reveals two very different spectral domains: for n greater than 4, a simple Airy compensation model, with mean depth of 100 km, faithfully represents the observed pattern; for degrees 2 and 3, the effective compensation depths are 1400 and 550 km, respectively, strongly arguing for dynamic compensation at those wavelengths. The gravity model has been derived from a reanalysis of the tracking data for Mariner 9 and the Viking Orbiters, The topography model was derived by harmonic analysis of the USGS digital elevation model of Mars. Before comparing gravity and topography for internal structure inferences, we must ensure that both are consistently referenced to a hydrostatic datum. For the gravity, this involves removal of hydrostatic components of the even degree zonal coefficients. For the topography, it involves adding the degree 4 equipotential reference surface, to get spherically referenced values, and then subtracting the full degree 50 equipotential. Variance spectra and phase coherence of orthometric heights and gravity anomalies are addressed.
Document ID
19940007593
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Bills, Bruce G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Frey, Herbert V.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kiefer, Walter S.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Nerem, R. Steven
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Zuber, Maria T.
(Johns Hopkins Univ. Baltimore, MD., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Inst., Twenty-fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 1: A-F
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
94N12065
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available