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Geological analysis of Ganymede using Digital Elevation Models
  • Davide Sulcanese,
  • Camilla Cioria,
  • Giuseppe Mitri
Davide Sulcanese
International Research School of Planetary Sciences

Corresponding Author:davide.sulcanese@unich.it

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Camilla Cioria
International Research School of Planetary Sciences
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Giuseppe Mitri
International Research School of Planetary Sciences
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Abstract

The surface of Ganymede is characterized by dark and light terrains. Light terrain, covering two thirds of the surface, is retained to be younger and resulted from resurfacing events, likely correlated to a global expansion of Ganymede [1]. It is typically characterized by several sets of subparallel troughs and ridges, called grooves. They highly modify the dark terrain and the other pre-existing features. Since these areas display two different superposed spacing scales, grooves have been interpreted as the product of extensional tectonism [2] and two different faulting styles have been recognized (horst-graben and domino) [3]. Nevertheless, the stratigraphical relationship, the required conditions to the grooves’ origin and the tectonic mechanisms are still objects of debate. In preparation of the ESA Juice Mission, we are producing DEMs of extended areas of the surface of Ganymede, using both Galileo and Voyager imagery. We use the open-source suite of tools NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP) [4], by using the photoclinometry-based “shape-from-shading” (SfS) tool. Since SfS needs an input DEM generated preferably with stereo images, and we do not have such data in this area of Ganymede, we used the methodology proposed by Lesage et al. 2021 [5]. Figure 1 shows an example of Digital Elevation Model using a Galileo image (EDR 2878r, with a resolution of 151 m/px) of Anshar Sulcus (167.40° E, 11.50° N). The DEM clearly shows the height variations of the ridge and trough systems included in the study area. These novel Digital Elevation Models can provide new insights on the geological processes of Ganymede. Acknowledgments GM acknowledges support from the Italian Space Agency (contract ASI/2018-25-HH.0). References [1] Pappalardo R.T., et al., 2004. Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, 2:363. [2] Prockter L.M. et al.,2010. Space Sci Rev 153:63-111 [3] Pizzi A. et al., 2017. Icarus 288: 148-159 [4] Beyer, R. A. et al., (2018), Science, 5. [5] Lesage E. et al. (2021), Icarus, 114373.