Judging a planet by its cover : insights into lunar crustal structure and Martian climate history from surface features

Abstract

Orbital spacecraft make observations of a planet's surface in the present day, but careful analyses of these data can yield information about deeper planetary structure and history. In this thesis, I use data sets from four orbital robotic spacecraft missions to answer longstanding questions about the crustal structure of the Moon and the climatic history of Mars. In chapter 2, I use gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to constrain the quantity and location of hidden volcanic deposits on the Moon. In chapter 3, I combine GRAIL data with elevation measurements from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to investigate the nature of isostatic compensation in the lunar highlands. In chapter 4, I present a new technique for analysis of the Martian polar layered deposits (PLDs). In chapter 5, I apply that technique using images of the PLDs from the MOC and HiRISE instruments aboard the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to constrain their ages and deposition rates.