Mineralogical characterization of Mars Science Laboratory candidate landing sites from THEMIS and TES data

Data from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instruments are used to assess the mineralogic and dust cover characteristics of landing regions proposed for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Candidate regi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2009-10, Vol.203 (2), p.437-453
Main Authors: Rogers, A. Deanne, Bandfield, Joshua L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Mars
Mineralogy
Solar system
Surface
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Summary:Data from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instruments are used to assess the mineralogic and dust cover characteristics of landing regions proposed for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Candidate regions examined in this study are Eberswalde crater, Gale crater, Holden crater, Mawrth Vallis, Miyamoto crater, Nili Fossae Trough, and south Meridiani Planum. Compositional units identified in each region from TES and THEMIS data are distinguished by variations in hematite, olivine, pyroxene and high-silica phase abundance, whereas no units are distinguished by elevated phyllosilicate or sulfate abundance. Though phyllosilicate minerals have been identified in all sites using near-infrared observations, these minerals are not unambiguously detected using either TES spectral index or deconvolution analysis methods. For some of the sites, small phyllosilicate outcrop sizes relative to the TES field of view likely hinder phyllosilicate mineral detection. Porous texture and/or small particle size (
ISSN:0019-1035
1090-2643
DOI:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.04.020