Mars

Most of my work on Mars has involved its evolution and interior. For instance, why did early Mars possess a dynamo, which later died? Possible answers are that there was an early episode of plate tectonics, or that Mars’ core started off very hot. I have also looked at the enigmatic fact that one half of Mars has a thicker crust than the other half – the hemispheric dichotomy. I am continuing to investigate global questions of this nature, and have just finished a review article on the early Martian crust.

Figure 1. Area of the Martian hemispheric dichotomy which may have been influenced by lateral flow of the crust.

 

PhD Opportunities (click here for more details)

Although I intend to continue my studies of the Martian interior, I have also become interested in the near-surface of Mars, and am looking for PhD students to take this work forwards. For instance, the existence of near-surface ground ice is likely to cause modification to the local topography in ways which are both detectable and should allow us to infer some of the properties of this ice layer. Similarly, impact crater topography is likely to be modified in predictable ways.

I currently have two students working on Mars-related topics. Shawn Hart is looking at the effects of giant impacts early in Martian history, and Reid Parsons is looking at using Martian topography to infer the mechanical properties of the near-surface.

Publications

Here is a list of recent Mars-related papers:

·  Formation of methane on Mars by fluid-rock interaction in the crust , J.R. Lyons, C. Manning and F. Nimmo, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32 , L13201, 2005. Reprint (PDF) Auxiliary Material (PDF)

 

·  Tectonic consequences of Martian dichotomy modification by lower crustal flow and erosion F. Nimmo, Geology , 33, 533-5361, 2005.Reprint (PDF)

·  Early crustal evolution of Mars F. Nimmo and K. Tanaka, Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. , 33, 133-161, 2005. Reprint (PDF)

·  Growth of the hemispheric dichotomy and the cessation of plate tectonics on Mars, A. Lenardic, F. Nimmo and L. Moresi J. Geophys. Res., 109, E02003, 2004 Reprint

·  Thermal evolution of the Martian core: Implications for an early dynamo, J.-P. Williams and F. Nimmo, Geology , 32(2), 97-100, 2004. Reprint                         

 

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences home page

Francis' Page

fnimmo@es.ucsc.edu

Last Modified: 2nd Aug 2006.