Andrea Pacifici

• PhD
• Senior Geologist at IRSPS

This 1:30,000 scale geological map describes Oxia Planum, Mars, the landing site for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission. The map represents our current understanding of bedrock units and their relationships prior to Rosalind Franklin’s exploration of this location. The map details 15 bedrock units organised into 6 groups and 7 textural and...

Wind-formed features are abundant in Oxia Planum (Mars), the landing site of the 2022 ExoMars mission, which shows geological evidence for a past wet environment [1-4]. Here we show that the landing site experienced multiple climatic changes recorded by an intriguing set of ridges that we interpret as Periodic Bedrock Ridges (PBRs) [5, 6]. Clues fo...

Wind‐formed features are abundant in Oxia Planum (Mars), the landing site of the 2022 ExoMars mission, which shows geological evidence for a past wet environment. Studies of aeolian bedforms at the landing site were focused on assessing the risk for rover trafficability, however their potential in recording additional climatic fluctuations has not...

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos ExoMars mission will launch the "Rosalind Franklin" rover in 2022 for a landing on Mars in 2023.The goals of the mission are to search for signs of past and present life on Mars, investigate the water/geochemical environment as a function of depth in the shallow subsurface, and characterize the surface...

The entry, descent and landing of Schiaparelli, the ExoMars Entry, descent and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM), offered a rare (once-per-mission) opportunity for in situ investigations of the martian environment over a wide altitude range. The aim of the ExoMars AMELIA experiment was to exploit the Entry, Descent and Landing System (EDLS) enginee...

This review summarizes the use of High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) data as an instrumental tool and its application in the analysis of geological processes and landforms on Mars during the last ten years of operation. High-resolution digital elevations models on a local to regional scale are the unique strength of the HRSC instrument. The analy...

One major reason for exploring Mars is the similarity of surface features to those present on Earth. Among the most important are morphological and mineralogical indicators that liquid water has existed on Mars at various locations over the entire history of the planet, albeit in decreasing abundance with time. Due to the strong evidence for aqueou...

Due to the strong evidence for aqueous processes at or near the surface, Mars is the most Earth-like body in the Solar System. After 10 years of ESA’s Mars Express orbiting the planet its High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) covered about 90 % of the surface in stereo and color with resolutions up to 10 m/pixel [1]. Digital elevation models of up t...

A geological-geomorphological map of ExoMars 2016 (ESA-Roscosmos) landing ellipse has been realized in order to support the engineering constraints analysis.

The landing ellipse of ExoMars 2016 lander is located at Meridiani Planum. The ellipse is 110 km long and 25 km large and cover a flat area.

This work describes a Rock Automated Detector algorithm developed for the analysis of ExoMars 2016 mission landing site, its validation, and performances.

Our research focuses on the mineralogical characteristics of dark sediment deposits in Martian craters (dunes, dune fields, and sand sheets) and their local sediment sources, carried out on the basis of 70 selected localities. Morphological analyses reveal dark layers exposed in a number of crater walls, showing indications of material transport fr...

High-energy fluid flows such as occur in large water floods can produce large-scale erosional landforms on Earth and potentially on Mars. These forms are distinguished from depositional forms in that structural and stratigraphical aspects of the sediments or bedrock may have a significant influence on the morphology of the landforms. Erosional feat...

Ares Vallis is one of the greatest outflow channels of Mars. Using high-resolution images of recent missions to Mars (MGS, 2001 Odyssey, and Mars Express), we investigated Ares Vallis and its valley arms, taking advantage of 3-dimensional analysis performed using the high-resolution stereo capability of the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camer...

Throughout the Cenozoic Era, the geological history of the Argentinean Patagonia was dominated by basaltic volcanism and glacial and periglacial environments. Several geological and geomorphological processes that concurred to the sculpting of the landscape of this area could have been similar to those responsible of the shaping of the Martian surf...

We present morphological indications and mineralogical evidence for dark layers acting as local sources for the dark dune material on Mars.

Our analysis of the MOLA-derived topographic map of the Nepenthes Mensae area, Mars, revealed the existence of different depressions near the highlands-lowlands boundary. We interpret the depressions such as a possible chain of lakes.

Here we show the repliminary results of a detailed search of water- and ice-related landforms in the Nepenthes Mensae region of Mars, what will used in the future for a wide study of the evolution of water in this martian region.

The conventional assumption about the relationship between the dark mafic material and depressions is that the material is blown into as well as out of the craters. Depressions may act as sediment traps into which the aeolian material is blown to accumulate on the depression floor. Once the material is deposited on a crater floor, it may also act a...

In the western sector of Nepenthes Mensae, Mars, there are some geomorphological features that could be related to a standing water sheet in the area, such as fluvial terraces, deltas and shorelines. A detailed analysis of these features reveals two variations in water level, probably related to tectonic processes, as suggested by the existence of...

We describe the geomorphological features observed on a MOC-na image (E0402007) that reveal the existence of a possible small frozen lake on the surface of Utopia Planitia. Some of its characteristics are similar to some frozen lakes on the Earth.

This work points out some geological and geomorphological analogs occurring between the Santa Cruz area (southern Argentinean Patagonia) and the martian landscape.

Ares Vallis is one of the greatest outflow channels of Mars, which are large complexes of fluid-eroded troughs. Several models to explain the origin and the evolution of this valley were proposed in the past; nevertheless, high-resolution images and elevation data acquired by newest Martian missions allow studying Martian features more in detail th...

Ares Vallis is one of the greatest outflow channels of Mars and it has been well investigated in past decades. New high resolution images from the HRSC on board on Mars Express along with data from Mars Global Surveyor, and 2001 Odyssey allow more detaile

Ares Vallis is one of the largest outflow channels of Mars. Aim of our work is a geomorphological analysis of the trough by using high-resolution images. We utilise principally the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) images, onboard Mars Express (ESA). Images have been processed in order to obtain stereo-derived Digital Terrain Models (DEMs). HRSC...

Pristine and deflated periglacial-like landforms are visible on HRSC data over Thaumasia Highland, Mars. They include lineated crater/valley fills, protalus lobes and protalus ramparts. Lineated crater/valley fill appear to be larger in size and slightly older than protalus lobe-like landforms in the area, suggesting a decrease in ice-related landf...

Thaumasia region on Mars is characterized by a complex geological history, including various phases of fluvial, volcanic and tectonic activity [1]. Among the surface features visible on Thaumasia mountain range, a series of periglacial or glaciallooking landforms can be distinguished. We used HRSC nadir scenes, which are covering almost completely...

Recent glacial and periglacial landforms appear widespread in Thaumasia Highland. We are mapping them using HRSC data and, locally, MOC NA and Themis VIS. We started ice stability modeling for these landforms.

The High Resolution Stereo Camera has remarkable stereo capabilities and it allows three-dimensional analysis of Martian outcrops in cliffs and slopes in a way similar to the study of large terrestrial outcrops or seismic lines.

Martian dichotomy. The case of Nepenthes Mensae. M.A. de Pablo (1,2) and A. Pacifici (2) (1) Área de Geología. ESCET. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Móstoles, Madrid. Spain. (miguelangel.depablo@urjc.es), (2) International Research School of Planetary Sciences. Universitá d'Annunzio. Viale Pindaro, 42. Pescara, Italy. Martian dichotomy is marked by a...

Ares Vallis, Mars, using HRSC data: new constrains about catastrophic floods and ice-related morphologies. A. Pacifici, G. G. Ori, G. Komatsu, and M. Pondrelli International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Universita' "G. d'Annunzio", Pescara, Italy. (pacifici@irsps.unich.it) Ares Vallis is one of the greatest outflow channels of Mars: it wa...

A dark rills and pond features on the northern slope of the Hebes Mensa could be formed by fluid lava flows. Mud and debris flows can be taken into account, but the stability of the feature (observed during Viking time) support a volcanic origin.