Peer-reviewed articles 17,970 +


Title: AZOREAN LAVA TUBE SYSTEMS: A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW PLANETARY ANALOG SITE TOWARDS FUTURE LUNAR AND MARTIAN EXPLORATION RESEARCH
AZOREAN LAVA TUBE SYSTEMS: A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW PLANETARY ANALOG SITE TOWARDS FUTURE LUNAR AND MARTIAN EXPLORATION RESEARCH

PlumX Article Metrics by Elsevier
Ana Cristina Pires; Rui Moura; Joao Carlos Nunes; Paulo Barcelos; Pedro Caetano; Pedro Quinteiro; Aidyl S. Gonzalez-Serricchio; Yvette Gonzalez; Slavka Andrejkovicova; Paul Niel; Helder I. Chamine
10.5593/sgem2023/1.1/s05.64
10.5593/sgem2023/1.1
1314-2704
978-619-7603-56-9
English
23
1
•    Prof. DSc. Oleksandr Trofymchuk, UKRAINE 
•    Prof. Dr. hab. oec. Baiba Rivza, LATVIA
Applied and Environmental Geophysics
The significance of analog studies using lava tubes on Earth to inform on the design of future lunar and Martian missions is aimed at exploring and utilising those structures as potential habitats on those planetary bodies. Lava tubes, natural subsurface cavities formed by volcanic activity, have several characteristics that make them appealing for human habitation on the Moon and Mars. Researchers conducting analog studies on Earth can gain valuable insights into the geological, environmental, engineering, crew and robotic challenges associated with lunar or Martian lava tube exploration and housing. This work reviews some scientific characteristics of an Azorean lava tube system that can contribute towards analog studies and their potential to help plan and design lunar and Martian missions. Human and robotic planetary exploration has garnered considerable attention recently, focusing on identifying potential habitats for future human missions. Lava tubes, formed by molten lava flowing beneath the solidified crust, offer natural subsurface shelters with numerous advantages for lunar or Martian habitation. This work provides insight into one of a lava tube structures, in Terceira island in the Azores archipelago. This structure would be adequate for analog studies that can contribute to the design of missions, providing valuable protocols for geological, geophysical and engineering tasks and potentially facilitating the development of sustainable lunar or Martian habitats.
[1] Thomson, B. J., et al. (2019). Identifying Gaps in Planetary Cave Exploration Using Analog Research. Planetary and Space Science, 176:104686.
[2] Sauro, F.; Pozzobon, R.; Massironi, M.; De Berardinis, P.; Santagata, T.; De Waele, J., 2020. Lava Tubes on Earth, Moon and Mars: A Review on Their Size and Morphology Revealed by Comparative Planetology. Earth Sci. Rev. 209:103288.
[3] Bessone, L., de Waele, J. Sauro, F. (2017). Speleology as an Analogue To Space Exploration: Five Years Of Astronaut Training, Testing And Operations In The ESA CAVES Program. Proceedings of the 17th International Congress on Speleology, 1:364-369
[4] Blank, J.G. & BRAILLE Team, 2020. Robotic Mapping and Exploration of a Terrestrial Lava Tube: A Structured Planetary Cave Mission Simulation With A Remote Astrobiology Science Team 3rd International Planetary Caves 2020 (LPI Contrib. No. 2197)
[5] Martin, R.P. & Benaroya H., 2023. Pressurized lunar lava tubes for habitation, Acta Astronautica, 204: 157-174.
[6] Constancia, J.P., P.A.V. Borges, M.P. Costa, J.C. Nunes, P. Barcelos, F. Pereira & T. Braga. (2004). Ranking Azorean Caves Base on Management Indexes. XI International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology, Azores, 21-22.
[7] Pereira, F., Borges, P.A.V., Costa, M.P., Constancia, J.P., Nunes, J.C., Barcelos, P. Braga, T. & Gabriel, R. (in press). Catalogo das cavidades vulcanicas dos Acores (grutas lavicas, algares e grutas de erosao marinha). Direccao Regional do Ambiente, Horta, 286 pp.
[8] Nunes, J.C., Calvert, A., Medeiros, S., Lima, E.A., Pereira, F., Costa, M.P., Barcelos, P., Carvalho, M.R., 2014. Geological mapping of the central area of Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal): associated volcanostratigraphy, ages and genetic implications on the Malha-Balcoes-Chamusca lava caves system. Comunicacoes Geologicas, 101(I): 283-288.
[9] Nunes, J.C., 2017. Cartografia vulcanoestratigrafica do campo geotermico do Pico Alto (Ilha Terceira, Acores). Acoreana 11(1):59-88.
[10] Nunes, J.C., 2023. Volcanological features of Terceira Island (Azores): a field approach around hazards. In: Malheiro, A., Fernandes, F., Chamine, H.I. (eds) Advances in Natural Hazards and Volcanic Risks: Shaping a Sustainable Future. NATHAZ 2022. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham.
Our acknowledgements to Expanding Company, in particular Manuel Vaz. We thank the Mayor of Angra do Heroismo (Terceira Island, Azores), Prof. Alamo de Meneses, for all the support. Finally, a word of appreciation to the Association “Os Montanheiros”, the Speleology Group, for providing all the conditions and logistics to carry out the analog cave mission in the “Natal” lava tube site. The investigation was funded by a research contract under the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT (CEECIND/00835/2018) to A.P. and supported within project UIDB/50014/2022.
conference
https://doi.org/10.5593/sgem2023/1.1/s05.64
Download PDF
Proceedings of 23rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2023
23rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2023, 03 - 09 July, 2023
Proceedings Paper
STEF92 Technology
International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference-SGEM
SWS Scholarly Society; Acad Sci Czech Republ; Latvian Acad Sci; Polish Acad Sci; Russian Acad Sci; Serbian Acad Sci and Arts; Natl Acad Sci Ukraine; Natl Acad Sci Armenia; Sci Council Japan; European Acad Sci, Arts and Letters; Acad Fine Arts Zagreb Croatia; Croatian Acad Sci and Arts; Acad Sci Moldova; Montenegrin Acad Sci and Arts; Georgian Acad Sci; Acad Fine Arts and Design Bratislava; Russian Acad Arts; Turkish Acad Sci.
533-540
03 - 09 July, 2023
website
9053
Analog site, lava tube, planetary exploration, geology, geophysics