Catherine L. Johnson’s research while affiliated with Planetary Science Institute and other places

Variations in continental ice mass related to changes in Earth’s obliquity can modulate volcanism. At Marie Byrd Land, increases in crustal temperature related to the trans- fer of magmas and to the insulating effects of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will reduce the effective viscosity of wall rocks, causing the volcanic response to be reduced in mag- nitude and delayed in time to a maximum time lag of ∼10.25 kyr behind deglaciation. For sufficiently high levels of crustal warming, magma storage is enhanced such that there is a negligible volcanic response. Tephra layers correlated to Mount Berlin volcanism sig- nal increases in the frequency of silicic eruptions following maxima in the rate of deglacia- tion over 0-40 ka (interval 1) and possibly 100-135 ka (interval 2). During interval 1, a well-resolved increase in eruption frequency at 8 ka lags a peak in the rate of deglacia- tion by ∼6.5-9 kyr to a 90% confidence Interval 2 is relatively poorly-resolved and may occur with a time lag ≥10.25 kyr. We hypothesize that a potential decrease in lag time by ∼10 ka reflects a period of reduced crustal warming related to a time-dependent man- tle melt supply. Using 1D thermal models of the effects of ice sheet insulation and a time- dependent magma supply on the viscoelastic response of crustal rocks hosting volcani- cally active magma reservoirs, we show that a periodic magma supply causing ∼ 50 K crustal temperature variations at magma reservoir depths can drive oscillations between rheological regimes favoring eruption and storage. Applied with additional constraints on the regional geothermal heat flux and eruption rate at Mount Berlin, the evolving re- sponse between 110 ka and 8 ka is consistent with a waning melt supply related to in- jections with a magnitude of 0.01-0.1 km3/year and a repose time ∼106 yrs.

The era of helicopter-based surveys on Mars has already begun, creating opportunities for future aerial science investigations with a range of instruments. We argue that magnetometer-based studies can make use of aerial technology to answer some of the key questions regarding early Mars evolution. As such, we discuss mission concepts for a helicopter equipped with a magnetometer on Mars, measurements it would provide, and survey designs that could be implemented. For a range of scenarios, we build magnetization models and test how well structures can be resolved using a range of different inversion approaches. With this work, we provide modeling ground work and recommendations to plan the future of aerial Mars exploration.

Plain Language Summary The Martian bow shock is a standing shock wave that forms ahead of Mars due to the interaction with the solar wind, where the supersonic solar wind flow drops sharply to subsonic. The bow shock plays a crucial role in shaping the Martian magnetosphere and controlling the energy, mass, and momentum exchange between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere. Previous research has shown that the position of Mars' bow shock is related to the solar wind. This research presents two‐spacecraft observations of how the solar wind affects the Martian bow shock. By analyzing data obtained by two orbiters, Tianwen‐1 and MAVEN, we find that the bow shock quickly contracts when the solar wind dynamic pressure rises or when the interplanetary magnetic field direction turns radial. When there are multiple changes in the solar wind at the same time, the bow shock moves around even more. This study shows how important it is to look at data from Tianwen‐1 and MAVEN at the same time to understand how Mars' magnetosphere reacts to the solar wind.

Magnetic field observations from the MGS, MAVEN, and InSight missions reveal that a dynamo was active in Mars’s early history. One unique feature of Mars’s magnetic crustal field is its hemispheric dichotomy, where magnetic fields in the southern hemisphere are much stronger than those in the northern hemisphere. Here we use numerical dynamo simulations to investigate the potential hemispheric nature of Mars’s ancient dynamo. Previous studies show that a hemispheric heat flux perturbation at the core–mantle boundary could result in either a stable hemispherical magnetic field or a constantly reversing field, depending on choices of parameters used in those models. These two scenarios lead to different implications for the origin of crustal fields. Here we test the dynamo sensitivity to varying hemispheric heat flux perturbations at the core–mantle boundary in a broader parameter regime to understand whether a hemispheric dynamo is likely for early Mars. We find that features of the dynamo change from stable, hemispheric magnetic fields to reversing, hemispheric fields, with increasing hemispheric heat flux perturbations at the core–mantle boundary. We also find that magnetic fields powered by bottom heating are more stable and transition from a nonreversing, hemispheric magnetic field to a multipolar field at higher hemispheric heat flux perturbations, while the transition happens at a much lower heat flux perturbation for magnetic fields powered by internal heating.

Analyses of seismic data from the InSight mission have provided the first in situ constraints on the thickness of the crust of Mars. These crustal thickness constraints are currently limited to beneath the lander that is located in the northern lowlands, and we use gravity and topography data to construct global crustal thickness models that satisfy the seismic data. These models consider a range of possible mantle and core density profiles, a range of crustal densities, a low‐density surface layer, and the possibility that the crustal density of the northern lowlands is greater than that of the southern highlands. Using the preferred InSight three‐layer seismic model of the crust, the average crustal thickness of the planet is found to lie between 30 and 72 km. Depending on the choice of the upper mantle density, the maximum permissible density of the northern lowlands and southern highlands crust is constrained to be between 2,850 and 3,100 kg m⁻³. These crustal densities are lower than typical Martian basaltic materials and are consistent with a crust that is on average more felsic than the materials found at the surface. We argue that a substantial portion of the crust of Mars is a primary crust that formed during the initial differentiation of the planet. Various hypotheses for the origin of the observed intracrustal seisimic layers are assessed, with our preferred interpretation including thick volcanic deposits, ejecta from the Utopia basin, porosity closure, and differentiation products of a Borealis impact melt sheet.

Mars’ crustal magnetic field holds information on the planet’s interior evolution and exterior processes that have modified the crust. Crustal magnetization records an ancient dynamo field that indicates very different interior conditions in the past, possibly linked to the presence of a thicker early atmosphere. Current data sets have provided a wealth of information on the ancient magnetic field, and on the acquisition and modification of magnetization in the crust. However, many puzzles remain regarding the nature and origin of crustal magnetization, and the timing and characteristics of the past dynamo. Here we use recent advances in understanding martian magnetism to highlight open questions, and ways in which they can be addressed through laboratory analysis, modeling and new data sets. Many of the outstanding key issues require data sets that close the gap in spatial resolution between available global satellite and local surface magnetic field measurements. Future missions such as a helicopter, balloon or airplane can provide areal high resolution coverage of the magnetic field, vital to major advances in understanding planetary crustal magnetic fields.

The NASA InSight lander has recorded many pressure drops attributed to convective vortices during its first full year of data collection. However, although dust-carrying vortices (dust devils) are a common phenomenon on Mars, they have not been observed in InSight images. On Earth, magnetic signals associated with some dust devils have been reported. Data from the InSight Fluxgate Magnetometer (IFG) provide the first opportunity for similar investigations on Mars. Here, we evaluate whether magnetic signals are associated with daytime vortices. We incorporate observations of environmental conditions, measurements of ground tilt from seismic data, and data from the lander's solar panels, and consider the potential for dust-laden vortices to generate observable magnetic field signals. We find that 7.7% of pressure drop events greater than 1 Pa show a resolvable magnetic field signal at the time of the pressure drops. The resolvable magnetic signals, typically seen on the horizontal field components, are less than 1 nT in amplitude, and have no clear correlation with local time, duration, or pressure drop magnitude. During nine pressure drop events we found smoothly varying magnetic signals of at least 0.3 nT on any one component. To investigate the origin of these magnetic signals we evaluated three possible sources: solar array currents, ground and lander tilt, and triboelectric effects of lofted dust. We find that SAC and tilt could contribute a change in the magnetic field but cannot solely explain the observed signals. The observed changes in field strength could theoretically be produced via triboelectric effects, but only in the case of exceptionally large dust devils that pass close to the lander. The lack of imaged dust devils and the small number of observed magnetic signatures despite numerous measured pressure drops is consistent with at most a small proportion of dust laden convective vortices at InSight and associated predicted triboelectric effects.

Mercury holds valuable clues to the distribution of elements at the birth of the solar system and how planets form and evolve in close proximity to their host stars. This Mercury Lander mission concept returns in situ measurements that address fundamental science questions raised by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission’s pioneering exploration of Mercury. Such measurements are needed to understand Mercury's unique mineralogy and geochemistry, characterize the proportionally massive core's structure, measure the planet's active and ancient magnetic fields at the surface, investigate the processes that alter the surface and produce the exosphere, and provide ground truth for remote data sets. The mission concept achieves one full Mercury year (∼88 Earth days) of surface operations with an 11-instrument, high-heritage payload delivered to a landing site within Mercury's widely distributed low-reflectance material, and it addresses science goals encompassing geochemistry, geophysics, the Mercury space environment, and geology. The spacecraft launches in 2035, and the four-stage flight system uses a solar electric propulsion cruise stage to reach Mercury in 2045. Landing is at dusk to meet thermal requirements, permitting ∼30 hr of sunlight for initial observations. The radioisotope-powered lander continues operations through the Mercury night. Direct-to-Earth communication is possible for the initial 3 weeks of landed operations, drops out for 6 weeks, and resumes for the final month. Thermal conditions exceed lander operating temperatures shortly after sunrise, ending operations. Approximately 11 GB of data are returned to Earth. The cost estimate demonstrates that a Mercury Lander mission is feasible and compelling as a New Frontiers–class mission.