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Piqueux S, Müller N, Grott M, Siegler M, Millour E, Forget F, Lemmon M, Golombek M, Williams N, Grant J, Warner N, Ansan V, Daubar I, Knollenberg J, Maki J, Spiga A, Banfield D, Spohn T, Smrekar S, Banerdt B. Soil Thermophysical Properties Near the InSight Lander Derived From 50 Sols of Radiometer Measurements. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2021; 126:e2021JE006859. [PMID: 35845552 PMCID: PMC9285084 DOI: 10.1029/2021je006859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Measurements from the InSight lander radiometer acquired after landing are used to characterize the thermophysical properties of the Martian soil in Homestead hollow. This data set is unique as it stems from a high measurement cadence fixed platform studying a simple well-characterized surface, and it benefits from the environmental characterization provided by other instruments. We focus on observations acquired before the arrival of a regional dust storm (near Sol 50), on the furthest observed patch of soil (i.e., ∼3.5 m away from the edge of the lander deck) where temperatures are least impacted by the presence of the lander and where the soil has been least disrupted during landing. Diurnal temperature cycles are fit using a homogenous soil configuration with a thermal inertia of 183 ± 25 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2 and an albedo of 0.16, corresponding to very fine to fine sand with the vast majority of particles smaller than 140 μm. A pre-landing assessment leveraging orbital thermal infrared data is consistent with these results, but our analysis of the full diurnal temperature cycle acquired from the ground further indicates that near surface layers with different thermophysical properties must be thin (i.e., typically within the top few mm) and deep layering with different thermophysical properties must be at least below ∼4 cm. The low thermal inertia value indicates limited soil cementation within the upper one or two skin depths (i.e., ∼4-8 cm and more), with cement volumes <<1%, which is challenging to reconcile with visible images of overhangs in pits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Piqueux
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Nils Müller
- DLR Institute for Planetary ResearchBerlinGermany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew Golombek
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Nathan Williams
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - John Grant
- National Air and Space MuseumSmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | | | | | | | - Justin Maki
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | | | - Tilman Spohn
- DLR Institute for Planetary ResearchBerlinGermany
- International Space Science Institute ISSIBernSwitzerland
| | - Susan Smrekar
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Bruce Banerdt
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
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Núñez JI, Farmer JD, Sellar RG, Swayze GA, Blaney DL. Science applications of a multispectral microscopic imager for the astrobiological exploration of Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:132-69. [PMID: 24552233 PMCID: PMC3929460 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Future astrobiological missions to Mars are likely to emphasize the use of rovers with in situ petrologic capabilities for selecting the best samples at a site for in situ analysis with onboard lab instruments or for caching for potential return to Earth. Such observations are central to an understanding of the potential for past habitable conditions at a site and for identifying samples most likely to harbor fossil biosignatures. The Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) provides multispectral reflectance images of geological samples at the microscale, where each image pixel is composed of a visible/shortwave infrared spectrum ranging from 0.46 to 1.73 μm. This spectral range enables the discrimination of a wide variety of rock-forming minerals, especially Fe-bearing phases, and the detection of hydrated minerals. The MMI advances beyond the capabilities of current microimagers on Mars by extending the spectral range into the infrared and increasing the number of spectral bands. The design employs multispectral light-emitting diodes and an uncooled indium gallium arsenide focal plane array to achieve a very low mass and high reliability. To better understand and demonstrate the capabilities of the MMI for future surface missions to Mars, we analyzed samples from Mars-relevant analog environments with the MMI. Results indicate that the MMI images faithfully resolve the fine-scale microtextural features of samples and provide important information to help constrain mineral composition. The use of spectral endmember mapping reveals the distribution of Fe-bearing minerals (including silicates and oxides) with high fidelity, along with the presence of hydrated minerals. MMI-based petrogenetic interpretations compare favorably with laboratory-based analyses, revealing the value of the MMI for future in situ rover-mediated astrobiological exploration of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge I. Núñez
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jack D. Farmer
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - R. Glenn Sellar
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | | | - Diana L. Blaney
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
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Fleischer I, Brückner J, Schröder C, Farrand W, Tréguier E, Morris R, Klingelhöfer G, Herkenhoff K, Mittlefehldt D, Ashley J, Golombek M, Johnson JR, Jolliff B, Squyres SW, Weitz C, Gellert R, de Souza PA, Cohen BA. Mineralogy and chemistry of cobbles at Meridiani Planum, Mars, investigated by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Squyres SW, Knoll AH, Arvidson RE, Ashley JW, Bell JF, Calvin WM, Christensen PR, Clark BC, Cohen BA, de Souza PA, Edgar L, Farrand WH, Fleischer I, Gellert R, Golombek MP, Grant J, Grotzinger J, Hayes A, Herkenhoff KE, Johnson JR, Jolliff B, Klingelhöfer G, Knudson A, Li R, McCoy TJ, McLennan SM, Ming DW, Mittlefehldt DW, Morris RV, Rice JW, Schröder C, Sullivan RJ, Yen A, Yingst RA. Exploration of Victoria Crater by the Mars Rover Opportunity. Science 2009; 324:1058-61. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1170355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - A. H. Knoll
- Botanical Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63031, USA
| | - J. W. Ashley
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - J. F. Bell
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - W. M. Calvin
- University of Nevada, Reno, Geological Sciences, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - P. R. Christensen
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - B. C. Clark
- Lockheed Martin Corporation, Littleton, CO 80127, USA
| | - B. A. Cohen
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812, USA
| | - P. A. de Souza
- Tasmanian Information and Communication Technologies Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Castray Esplanade, Hobart TAS 7000, Australia
| | - L. Edgar
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - I. Fleischer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - R. Gellert
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - M. P. Golombek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - J. Grant
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - J. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - A. Hayes
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | | | - B. Jolliff
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63031, USA
| | - G. Klingelhöfer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - A. Knudson
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - R. Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - T. J. McCoy
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - S. M. McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - D. W. Mittlefehldt
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - R. V. Morris
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - J. W. Rice
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - C. Schröder
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - R. J. Sullivan
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - A. Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - R. A. Yingst
- Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311, USA
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