Fusion of Landsat and Worldview Images

Pansharpened Landsat images have 15 m spatial resolution with 16-day revisit periods. On the other hand, Worldview images have 0.5 m resolution after pansharpening but the revisit times are uncertain. We present some preliminary results for a challenging image fusion problem that fuses Landsat and Worldview (WV) images to yield a high temporal resolution image sequence at the same spatial resolution of WV images. Since the spatial resolution between Landsat and Worldview is 30 to 1, our preliminary results are mixed in that the objective performance metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), correlation coefficient (CC), etc. sometimes showed good fusion performance, but at other times showed poor results. This indicates that more fusion research is still needed in this niche application

Quantitative Hyperspectral Imaging Pipeline to Recover Surface Images from CRISM Radiance Data

Hyperspectral data are important for remote applications such as mineralogy, geology, agriculture and surveillance sensing. A general pipeline converting measured hyperspectral radiance to the surface reflectance image can provide planetary scientists with clean, robust and repeatable products to work on. In this dissertation, the surface single scattering albedos (SSAs), the ratios of scattering eciency to scattering plus absorption eciences of a single particle, are selected to describe the reflectance. Moreover, the IOF, the ratio of measured spectral radiance (in the unit of watts per squared-meter and micrometer) to the solar spectral radiance (in the unit of watts per squared-meter and micrometer) at the observed time, is used to indicate the measurements. This pipeline includes two main parts: retrieving SSAs from IOF and reconstructing the SSA images from the SSA cube. The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) helps scientists identify locations on Mars that may have exhibit hydrated mineral phases. This dissertation mainly focuses on developing the pipeline for CRISM data. One should notice that pipelines for other hyperspectral spectrometers can also be developed based on almost the same idea. Retrieving surface kinetic temperatures and SSA values from IOF data is challenging because the problem is under-determined and ill-posed, including modulating effects of atmospheric aerosols and gases, and surface scattering and emission properties. We introduce a general framework called STANN (Separating Temperature and Albedo using Neural Networks) to solve this kind of problem. STANN takes the hyperspectral IOF cube as inputs and outputs the retrieved temperature mapping and the corresponding SSA cube. Our STANN is derived using the Discrete Ordinates Radiative Transfer function to describe the forward model from SSA and temperature to IOF. In the STANN, we have a generator to generate more training samples based on limited library spectra and a neural network to approximate the inverse function based on enough generated training samples. This framework has been implemented for the Compact Imaging Spectrometer for Mars in a detailed manner. SSA can be computed from IOF directly by modeling the thermal and solar reflectance together, based on retrieved temperatures. Because accurate retrieved temperature directly leads to accurate SSA, we compare the accuracy of retrieved temperatures from STANN. The retrieved temperature has only 4 K error by one point validation (242 K) using the Curiosity Rover\u27s thermal radiometer data. Our STANN temperature map is compared with a temperature map generated independently from a theoretical thermal model. The theoretical thermal model describes the relationship between Lambert albedo at the wavelength 1.0 µm, thermal inertia and the surface temperature. However, because the thermal inertia has pixel size larger than 100 m/pixel, the generated temperature also has the same pixel size. Our STANN temperature is projected into the same pixel size (100 m/pixel) by the classic projection method. The two temperature maps have consistent global patterns. Retrieved from an IOF cube, a noisy hyperspectral SSA cube needs to be denoised and reconstructed onto the Mars surface. We propose a new algorithm, hypothesis-based estimation with regularization (HyBER), to reconstruct and denoise hyperspectral image data without extra statistical assumptions. The hypothesis test selects the best statistical model approximating measurements based on the data only. Gaussian and Poisson distributions are common respectively for continuous and integer random variables, due to the law of large numbers. Hyperspectral IOF data result from converting discrete photon counting data to continuous electrical signals after calibration. Thus, so far, Gaussian and Poisson are candidate distributions for our hypothesis tests. A regularized maximum log-likelihood estimation method is derived based on the selected model. A spatially dependent weighting on the regularization penalty is presented, substantially eliminating row artifacts that are due to non-uniform sampling. A new spectral weighting penalty is introduced to suppress varying detector-related noise. HyBER generates reconstructions with sharpened images and spectra in which the noise is suppressed, whereas fine-scale mineral absorptions are preserved. The performance is quantitatively analyzed for simulations with relative error 0.002%, which is better than the traditional non-statistical methods (baselines) and statistical methods with improper assumptions. When applied to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter\u27s Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars data, the spatial resolution and contrast are about 2 times better as compared to map projecting data without the use of HyBER. So far, part of our results has enabled planetary scientists to identify minerals and understand the forming history of Mars craters. Some of these findings are verified by the Opportunity Rover\u27s measurements. In the future, results from this pipeline for CRISM are promising to play more and more critical roles in the planetary science

Dynamics of Ices and Fluids on Mars and Kuiper Belt Objects

abstract: The seasonal deposition of CO2 on the polar caps is one of the most dynamic processes on Mars and is a dominant driver of the global climate. Remote sensing temperature and albedo data were used to estimate the subliming mass of CO2 ice on south polar gullies near Sisyphi Cavi. Results showed that column mass abundances range from 400 - 1000 kg.m2 in an area less than 60 km2 in late winter. Complete sublimation of the seasonal caps may occur later than estimated by large-scale studies and is geographically dependent. Seasonal ice depth estimates suggested variations of up to 1.5 m in depth or 75% in porosity at any one time. Interannual variations in these data appeared to correlate with dust activity in the southern hemisphere. Correlation coefficients were used to investigate the relationship between frost-free surface properties and the evolution of the seasonal ice in this region. Ice on high thermal inertia units was found to disappear before any other ice, likely caused by inhibited deposition during fall. Seasonal ice springtime albedo appeared to be predominantly controlled by orientation, with north-facing slopes undergoing brightening initially in spring, then subliming before south-facing slopes. Overall, the state of seasonal ice is far more complex than globally and regionally averaged studies can identify. The discovery of cryovolcanic features on Charon and the presence of ammonia hydrates on the surfaces of other medium-sized Kuiper Belt Objects suggests that cryovolcanism may be important to their evolution. A two-dimensional, center-point finite difference, thermal hydraulic model was developed to explore the behavior of cryovolcanic conduits on midsized KBOs. Conduits on a Charon-surrogate were shown to maintain flow through over 200 km of crust and mantle down to radii of R = 0.20 m. Radii higher than this became turbulent due to high viscous dissipation and low thermal conductivity. This model was adapted to explore the emplacement of Kubrik Mons. Steady state flow was achieved with a conduit of radius R = 0.02 m for a source chamber at 2.3 km depth. Effusion rates computed from this estimated a 122 - 163 Myr upper limit formation timescale.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 201

Geomorfología glaciar del flanco noroeste del volcán Hectes Tholus, Marte

Tesis Doctoral de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Departamento de Geodinámica, leída el 05-11-2015El volcán Hecates Tholus (32.18°N, 150.28ºE; cuadrante MC-7), de unos 180 km de diámetro y 5.300 metros de altura, es el único edificio de la provincia volcánica de Elysium, en las Tierras Bajas de Marte, en el que se han descrito rasgos geomorfológicos que podrían estar causados por procesos glaciares. Además, distintos autores relacionan la red radial de canales que surcan las laderas del volcán como causadas por la fusión de un antiguo casquete glaciar en la cima del edificio, siendo éste un ejemplo más de las intensas interacciones magma-agua en esta región del planeta, cercana al antiguo océano marciano y que dieron lugar a fenómenos muy interesantes, como los terrenos caóticos de Galaxias Chaos, a pocos kilómetros del volcán. Una característica muy particular de este edificio volcánico es la presencia de dos depresiones anidadas en la base de la ladera Noroeste, de 20 y 60 km de diámetro. La menor de ellas (Depresión A), situada a mayor altitud, ha sido interpretada por algunos autores como causada por una erupción lateral del volcán hace unos 350 Ma. Sin embargo, la de mayor diámetro y situada a menor altitud (Depresión B), no tiene un origen claro, aunque se han discutido distintas hipótesis. En cualquier caso, es especialmente en el interior de estas depresiones donde se han encontrado los rasgos geomorfológicos que podrían estar causados por actividad glacial, como posibles cordones morrénicos y depósitos de till...Hecates Tholus volcano (32.18°N, 150.28ºE; MC-7 quadrangle) is the only edifice of the Elysium volcanic province, at the lowlands of Mars, showing evidence of glacial activity, as deduced from the geomorphological study. This work completes the previous regional works with the aim of refine our knowledge about the glacial events occurred at this site of Mars. We build a detailed geomorphological mapping (1:100.000 in scale) of the lower NW flank of the edifice (31.8º-33.08ºN, 148.37º-149.38ºE), where the glacial ”marsforms” concentrate, based on the use of CTX images. Moreover, we performed detailed crater size-frequency distribution, geomorphological, morphometric, compositional, and thermal analysis to finish the cartography and get the necessary evidences to model the glacial evolution of the area. Those analyses were possible thanks to the use of a wide variety of images, including HRSC, HiRISE, MOC, and THEMIS, as well as HRSC-derived topographic data, THEMIS-derived Brightness surface temperature, TES-derived thermal inertia maps, and SHARAD ground penetration radargrams, everything integrated into a Geographic Information System...Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEunpu

Solar System Remote Sensing : September 20-21, 2002, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This international meeting presents the current state of research over a wide range of topics including:; Photometric theory; Spectroscopic modeling; Laboratory exploration of scattering phenomena; Space weathering processes throughout the inner solar system; Photometric and spectroscopic studies of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and asteroids; Photometric and spectroscopic studies of cold, icy places such as comets and outer planet satellites.This international meeting presents the current state of research over a wide range of topics including:; Photometric theory; Spectroscopic modeling; Laboratory exploration of scattering phenomena; Space weathering processes throughout the inner solar system; Photometric and spectroscopic studies of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and asteroids; Photometric and spectroscopic studies of cold, icy places such as comets and outer planet satellites.sponsors, University of Pittsburgh ... [and others]conveners, William Cassidy, Deborah Domingue, Robert M. Nelson ; scientific organizing committee William Cassidy ... [and others].PARTIAL CONTENTS: Interpreting Photometry of Planetary Regoliths: Progress and Problems as Seen from Kharkov / Yu.G. Shkuratov--Toward an Improved Single-Particle Model for Large, Irregular Grains / W.M. Grundy, B. Schmitt, S. Doute--A New Method for Estimating the Single Scattering Phase Functions of Regolith Grains / P. Helfenstein--The Opposition Effect: A Very Unusual Case / R.M. Nelson--Coherent Backscattering by Random Particulate Media in the Solar System / K. Muinonen--The Diverse Surface Compositions of the Galilean Satellites / R.W. Carlso

Characterization of Impactite Clay Minerals with Implications for Mars Geologic Context and Mars Sample Return

Geological processes, including impact cratering, are fundamental throughout rocky bodies in the solar system. Studies of terrestrial impact structures, like the Ries impact structure, Germany, have informed on impact cratering processes – e.g., early hot, hydrous degassing, autometamorphism, and recrystallization/devitrification of impact glass – and products – e.g., impact melt rocks and breccias comprised of clay minerals. Yet, clay minerals of authigenic impact origin remain understudied and their formation processes poorly-understood. This thesis details the characterization of impact-generated clay minerals at Ries, showing that compositionally diverse, abundant Al/Fe/Mg smectite clays formed through these processes in thin melt-bearing breccia deposits of the ejecta, as well as at depth. The inherent complexity of smectites – their formation, type, structure, and composition – makes their provenance difficult to discern; these factors may explain why impact-generated and altered materials, which comprise an appreciable volume and extent of Mars’ ancient Noachian crust, are not generally recognized as a source of the enigmatic clays that are ubiquitous in those regions. Clay minerals can provide a defining window into a planet’s geologic and climatic past as an indicator of water availability and geochemistry; the presence of clay minerals on Mars has been used to support the hypothesis of climatically “warm, wet” ancient conditions. Yet, climate modeling of Early Mars suggests that the likely nature of the climate was not conducive to long-term aqueous activity. We suggest that the omission of impact-generated materials in current models of Mars clay mineral formation leaves a fundamental gap in our understanding of Noachian crustal materials – materials that were continually recycled and completely transformed on a global scale over millennia on Mars. The opportunity to investigate clay-bearing impactites and strata-bound clay minerals will be presented to the upcoming NASA Mars 2020 and ESA ExoMars rovers; this thesis offers caution in assigning clay mineral provenance until samples are returned to Earth from these missions. We furthermore suggest a methodological approach to augment current rover-based exploration frameworks to characterize potential impact-origin. Discerning clay species and provenance – and acknowledging the implications of that provenance – is central to understanding the geologic context of Mars, and thus its past climatic conditions and habitability potential

Mineralogy and chemistry of altered Icelandic basalts: Application to clay mineral detection and understanding aqueous environments on Mars

We used a suite of techniques, including those emulating compositional data sets obtained from Mars orbit and obtainable at the Mars surface, to examine aqueous alteration of basaltic rocks from Iceland as a mineralogic and geochemical analog for Noachian environments on Mars. A sample suite was collected for laboratory measurement of (1) whole-rock visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance and thermal infrared (TIR) emission spectra; (2) VNIR and TIR reflectance spectra of particle-size separates derived from the bulk rock and from materials extracted from fractures/vesicles; (3) X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns for determination of quantitative modal mineralogy; (4) major element chemistry using flux fusion of whole-rock powders; and (5) electron microprobe analyses of minerals in thin sections. Conclusions about aqueous alteration can be influenced by technique. For these basalts, whole-rock chemical data showed scant evidence for chemical fractionation, but TIR, VNIR, and XRD measurements identified distinctive assemblages of hydrous silicate minerals, differing by sample. XRD provided the most complete and accurate quantitative determination of sample mineralogy. However, VNIR spectroscopy was the technique most useful for determining composition of low-abundance smectite clays, and TIR spectroscopy was the most useful for recognizing hydrated silicates in thin surface coatings. High spatial resolution mineralogical and chemical data sets were useful for understanding the texture and distribution of alteration products and variations in fluid chemistry. No single approach provides a complete assessment of the environment of alteration, demonstrating the importance of employing multiple, synergistic mineralogical and geochemical techniques and instruments in exploration of rock strata from aqueous paleoenvironments on Mars

Quantitative Analysis of Thermophysical Properties of Lava Flows on Earth and Mars

Multi-instrument approaches, at different spatial and spectral resolutions, are used to investigate the thermophysical properties of lava flows at the subpixel scale. Development of remote sensing aerial and terrain technology has provided higher spatial resolution data that can improve the derivation of surface properties from satellite datasets. TIR data have applications to interpret surface properties of planetary bodies, but are limited by the lower spatial resolution. This research utilizes multi-instrument approaches to improve the understanding of the subpixel surface properties derived from TIR data, specifically to quantify the presence of shadowing, mixed pixels, and complex surfaces with horizontal mixing and vertical layering. Visible data, with higher spatial resolutions, are used to interpret the surface topography and/or structures and TIR data, with lower spatial resolutions, are used to understand thermal properties to derive particle size and composition. Two study areas were the focus of this research: a terrestrial analog at the North Coulee, part of the Mono-Inyo Crater System, and the Daedalia Planum flow field on Mars. At the North Coulee, studies assessed the effect of shadows on ATI and aimed to better understanding the relationship between mixed pixels (with subpixel particle and block sizes variability) and ATI. The locations of shadows were identified using a DEM and a correction applied based on the areal percentage of a pixel in shadow. Analysis of the relationship between mixed pixels and ATI demonstrates that the current assumption of uniform material at the pixel scale will cause incorrect derivation of moderate and coarse materials at higher ATI values. The studies on Daedalia Planum, Mars, aim to determine the cause of the thermophysical variation between lava flows and define the areal percentage of dust, sand, and lava outcrops on the flow surfaces. Through this quantitative analysis, the variability was determined to be caused by different vertical layering and horizontal mixing of these components and that some flows have up to 40% identifiable lava outcrops with a dust layer of 0.2 mm. These techniques demonstrate the application of multi-instrument approaches to investigate complex surfaces with mixtures and layering below the spatial resolution of current TIR instruments

Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration

Abstracts describe missions, mission elements or experiments for consideration in the 2005-2020 time frame. Also the technologies and the support necessary to achieve the results are discussed.NASA Headquarters; Lunar and Planetary Institutehosted by Lunar and Planetary Institute ; sponsored by NASA Headquarters, Lunar and Planetary Institute ; convener Scott Hubbard