Geological mapping in Mercury's southern latitudes

美国国家航空航天局信使轨道飞行器于2015年结束了任务。为了准备欧洲的水星轨道器比普科伦坡(2018年10月发射)，信使号和比皮科伦坡号的科学家们正在进行一项协调工作，利用信使号现有的最佳数据绘制出1：300万的整个星球的地质图。这些将为规划和解释比佩科伦坡数据提供背景信息，取代使用Mariner-10数据实现的部分1：5M比例尺地图覆盖。水星被分成15个四边形(包括两极各一个)。这名学生将在监督小组的指导下，负责绘制南半球其中一个四合院的地质图。这将是位于66度S和极点之间的南极四边形(H-15巴赫)，或者是S带中三个尚未绘制地图的四边形之一(H-11到H13)，占据21-66度S，这取决于其他机构的同事已经在进行的地图绘制。然而，每个四合院都有广泛的特征和漫长而复杂的地质历史，这使得它成为一个令人兴奋的研究区域。尽可能全面地了解水星的南半球尤其重要。信使号对此的研究还不够深入，但比普科伦坡将对其进行详细的观测，因此这张图将为我们预计比普科伦坡最新的发现奠定基础。学生将使用Messenger窄角和广角相机图像，辅以美国国家航空航天局行星数据系统提供的地形和光谱数据，在ArcGIS中编制地质图，并将与绘制了相邻四边形地图的同事进行协调。测绘将遵循‘Planmap’联盟采用的‘测绘标准’协议和惯例，这与美国地质勘探局的做法是一致的。在线数字出版促进了多层的纳入，因此(例如)这一新一代地图可以有时间地层版本(地表单位按年龄划分，如光滑平原、火山口间平原等)和更具创新性的岩石地层版本(例如，将平原细分为光谱类型)。水星的构造很复杂，因此孤立和相连的断层系统需要仔细关注。尽管四边形地图将是这项研究的主要具体成果，但通过仔细检查水星任何部分获得的深入洞察为衍生科学提供了许多机会。例如，根据学生的兴趣，这些因素可能是地貌、构造、与空间风化有关或与不稳定的过程有关。我们希望这名学生在一年一度的月球和行星科学会议(休斯顿)和欧洲行星科学会议等会议上发表研究成果，并提交论文发表在同行评议的期刊上。监督员将对学生进行ArcGIS和行星地质制图方面的培训。有地球地质测绘经验者优先。

NASAs MESSENGER orbiter ended its mission in 2015. In preparation for Europe's Mercury orbiter, BepiColombo (launch October 2018), a co-ordinated effort is being mounted by MESSENGER and BepiColombo scientists to produce 1:3M geological maps of the whole planet using the best MESSENGER data available. These will provide contextual information for planning and interpreting BepiColombo data, replacing partial 1:5M scale map coverage achieved using Mariner-10 data. Mercury is divided into 15 quadrangles (including one at each pole). The student will be responsible for creating a geological map of one of the southern hemisphere quadrangles, guided by the supervision team. This will be either the south polar quadrangle (H-15 Bach) between 66 degrees S and the pole, or one of the three as-yet unmapped quadrangles (H-11 to H13) in the belt occupying 21-66 Degrees S, depending on mapping already underway by colleagues at other institutions. However, every quadrangle has a wide range of features and a long and complex geological history making it an exciting region to study. It is particularly important to understand Mercury's southern hemisphere as fully as possible. This was less-well studied by MESSENGER, but it will be observed in detail by BepiColombo and so this mapping will establish the context for what we expect to be BepiColombo's most novel findings. The student will compile a geological map in ArcGIS using MESSENGER narrow- and wideangle-camera images supplemented by topographic and spectral data, available from NASA's Planetary Data System, and will co-ordinate with colleagues who have mapped adjacent quadrangles. Mapping will follow 'mapping standards' protocols and conventions adopted by the 'Planmap' consortium, which are consistent with USGS practice. Online digital publication facilitates the inclusion of multiple layers, so that (for example) this new generation of maps could have a chronostratigraphic version (surface units divided by age, such as smooth plains, intercrater plains, and so on) and a more innovative lithostratigraphic version (for example subdividing plains into spectral types). Mercury is tectonically complex, and so the systems of isolated and linked faults will require careful attention. Continued Although a quadrangle map will be the main specified deliverable from this study, the intimate insight gained by close examination of any part of Mercury offers many opportunities for spin-off science. These could, for example, be geomorphological, tectonic, related to space-weathering, or related to volatile processes, according to the student's interests. We would expect the student to present findings at meetings such as the annual Lunar & Planetary Science Conference (Houston) and the European Planetary Science Conference, and also to submit papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The supervisors will train the student in ArcGIS and planetary geological mapping. Experience of geological mapping on the Earth would be an advantage.