Mars express – mars advanced radar for subsurface and ionosphere sounding (marsis) to planetary science archive interface control document.

The purpose of this EAICD (Experimenter to Archive Interface Control Document) is two folds. First it provides users of the MARSIS instrument with detailed description of the product and a description of how it was generated, including data sources and destinations. Secondly, it is the official interface between the MARSIS team and the Planetary Science Archive (PSA) of ESA. This document is also intended to provide user specification to the developers of the MARSIS data processing software

Relationship of dayside main layer ionosphere height to local solar time on Mars and implications for solar wind interaction influence

To understand the influence of solar wind on the daytime main layer ionosphere of Mars, we investigated the local solar time (LST) variations of three characteristic heights of the ionosphere, namely, the heights of the 1 MHz and 1.5 MHz reflection points (i.e., 1.24 × 1010 m-3 and 2.79 × 1010 m-3 isodensity contours, respectively) and the density peak. We used a total of 19,996 Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding observations distributed on the northern hemisphere, with solar zenith angle ≤80°, acquired from June 2005 to October 2013. We exploited the kernel partial least squares regression method to extract the nonlinear relationships of the heights to LST and a few other variables. The average height of the 1 MHz reflection point decreased from ~218 km at 10:00 A.M. to ~206 km at 16:00 P.M. local time; the height of the 1.5 MHz reflection point decreased simultaneously from ~190 km to ~181 km. These decreasing trends are in contrast to the LST variation of the density peak height, which increased from ~128 km to ~137 km over the same LST interval. Based on these findings and previous results, we suggest that the solar wind may penetrate the Martian ionosphere down to altitudes of about 50 km above the main density peak and may, in conjunction with the asymmetric draping of the interplanetary magnetic field, compress the upper part of the main ionosphere layer on the P.M. side ~10 km more than on the A.M. side

Topside of the martian ionosphere near the terminator: Variations with season and solar zenith angle and implications for the origin of the transient layers

In this paper, the morphological variations of the M2 layer of the martian ionosphere with the martian seasons and solar zenith angle (SZA) at the terminator are investigated. The data used are the MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) measurements (approximately 5000 ionograms) that were acquired from 2005 to 2012, which have a SZA ⩾ 85° and detect the topside transient layers. A simple, effective data inversion method is developed for the situation in which the upper portion of the height profile is non-monotonic and the observed data are insufficient for adequate reduction. The inverted parameters are subsequently explored using a statistical approach. The results reveal that the main body of the M2 layer (approximately 10 km below the first topside layer) can be well-characterized as a Chapman layer near the terminator (SZA = 85-98°), notwithstanding the high SZA and the presence of the topside layers. The height of the first topside layer tends to be concentrated approximately 60 km (with a standard deviation of ∼20 km) above the main density peak. The peak density and height of the first topside layer are positively correlated to the density and height of the main peak, respectively. The density and height of the first topside layer appear to be independent of the SZA, but possess seasonal variations that are similar to those of the main layer. The height of the topside layer is greater (by ∼10 km on average) in the southern spring and summer than in the southern autumn and winter, coinciding with the observation that, in the southern spring and summer, the underlying atmosphere is warmer due to dust heating (e.g., Smith, M.D. [2004]. Icarus 167, 148-165). The statistical regularities of the parameters suggest a possibility that the formation of the topside layers are closely related to the processes of photoionization and diffusion that occur on the topside of the M2 layer. We propose that development of beam-plasma instabilities in the transitional region (between the lower Chapman region and the upper transport-dominating region) is possibly a mechanism that is responsible for the occurrences of the topside layers

Ducted electromagnetic waves in the Martian ionosphere detected by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding radar

In the data of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding on board the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Mars Express (MEX), a distinctive type of signals (called the "epsilon signature"), which is similar to that previously detected during radio sounding of the terrestrial F region ionosphere, is found. The signature is interpreted to originate from multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves propagating along sounder pulse-created, crustal magnetic field-aligned plasma bubbles (waveguides). The signatures have a low (below 0.5%) occurrence rate and apparent cutoff frequencies 3-5 times higher than the theoretical one for an ordinary mode wave. These properties are explained by the influence of the perpendicular ionospheric plasma density gradient and the sounder pulse frequency on the formation of waveguides

SHARAD radar sounding of the Vastitas Borealis Formation in Amazonis Planitia

Amazonis Planitia has undergone alternating episodes of sedimentary and volcanic infilling, forming an interleaved sequence with an upper surface that is very smooth at the kilometer scale. Earlier work interprets the near-surface materials as either young, rough lava flows or ice-rich sediment layers, overlying a basement comprising the Vastitas Borealis Formation and earlier Hesperian plains. Sounding radar profiles across Amazonis Planitia from the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal a subsurface dielectric interface that increases in depth toward the north along most orbital tracks. The maximum depth of detection is 100–170 m, depending upon the real dielectric permittivity of the materials, but the interface may persist at greater depth to the north if the reflected energy is attenuated below the SHARAD noise floor. The dielectric horizon likely marks the boundary between sedimentary material of the Vastitas Borealis Formation and underlying Hesperian volcanic plains. The SHARAD-detected interface follows the surface topography across at least one of the large wrinkle ridges in north central Amazonis Planitia. This conformality suggests that Vastitas Borealis sediments, at least in this region, were emplaced prior to compressional tectonic deformation. The change in radar echo strength with time delay is consistent with a loss tangent of 0.005–0.012 for the column of material between the surface and the reflector. These values are consistent with dry, moderate-density sediments or the lower end of the range of values measured for basalts. While a component of distributed ice in a higher-loss matrix cannot be ruled out, we do not find evidence for a dielectric horizon within the Vastitas Borealis Formation that might suggest an abrupt change from an upper dry layer to an ice-rich lower deposit

An Analysis of MARSIS Radar Flash Memory Data from Lunae Planum, Mars: Searching for Subsurface Structures

Lunae Planum is a Martian plain measuring approximately 1000 km in width and 2000 km in length, centered at coordinates 294°E-11°N. MOLA elevations range from +2500 m to +500 m in the south, gently sloping northward to -500 m. The plain is part of a belt of terrains located between the southern highlands and the northern lowlands, that are transitional in character (e.g., by elevation, age and morphology). These transitional terrains are poorly understood, in part because of their relative lack of major geomorphological features. They record however a very significant part of Mars's geologic history. The most evident features on Lunae Planum's Hesperian surface are regularly spaced, longitudinally striking, wrinkle ridges. These indicate the presence of blind thrust faults cutting through thick stacks of layers of volcanic or sedimentary rocks. The presence of fluidized ejecta craters scattered all over the region suggests also the presence of ice or volatiles in the subsurface. In a preliminary study of Lunae Planum's subsurface we used the Mars Express ground penetrating radar MARSIS dataset [1], in order to detect reflectors that could indicate the presence of fault planes or layering. Standard radargrams however, provided no evidence of changes in value of dielectric constant that could indicate possible geologic discontinuities or stratification of physically diverse materials. We thus started a new investigation based on processing of raw MARSIS data. Here we report on the preliminary results of this study. We searched the MARSIS archive for raw data stored in flash memory. When operating with flash storage, the radar collects 2 frequency bands along-track covering a distance = 100-250 km, depending on the orbiter altitude [2]. We found flash memory data from 24 orbits over the area. We processed the data focusing radar returns in off-nadir directions, to maximize the likelihood of detecting sloping subsurface structures, including those striking parallel to the Mars Express sub-polar orbits. We plan to follow this study by applying a new processor aimed at improving the resolution and signal to noise ratio of the data. [1] Caprarelli et al. (2017), LPSC 48, 1720. [2] Watters et al. (2017), LPSC 48, 1693

A global permittivity map of the Martian surface from SHARAD and some geological correlations

We present the first global SHARAD permittivity map of the Martian surface and use it to constrain the subsurface geology inferred from other data sources. Geological correlations are discussed at the dichotomy boundary, Elysium Mons, and high-latitude ice-filled craters

Rapporto Attività di Progetto Attività scientifiche per i radar di Mars Express e di Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Fase E2 Continuazione Riunione di Avanzamento n.1

Rapporto presentato alla Riunione di Avanzamento n.1, relativo alle attività tecnico/scientifiche svolte nel periodo 14/11/2019-31/01/2020 nell'ambito del contratto ASI-INAF 2019-21-HH.0, riguardante i radar di Mars Express e di Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Fase E2 Continuazion

Global permittivity mapping of the Martian surface from SHARAD

SHARAD is a subsurface sounding radar aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, capable of detecting dielectric discontinuities in the subsurface caused by compositional and/or structural changes. Echoes coming from the surface contain information on geometric properties at metre scale and on the permittivity of the upper layers of the Martian crust. A model has been developed to estimate the effect of surface roughness on echo power, depending on statistical parameters such as RMS height and topothesy. Such model is based on the assumption that topography can be characterized as a self-affine fractal, and its use allows the estimation of the dielectric properties of the first few metres of the Martian soil. A permittivity map of the surface of Mars is obtained, covering several large regions across the planet surface. The most significant correspondence with geology is observed at the dichotomy boundary, with high dielectric constant on the highlands side (7 to over 10) and lower on the lowlands side (3 to 7). Other geological correlations are discussed

Rapporto Attività di Progetto Attività scientifiche per i radar di Mars Express e di Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Fase E2 Continuazione Riunione di Avanzamento n.3

Rapporto presentato alla Riunione di Avanzamento n.3, relativo alle attività tecnico/scientifiche svolte nel periodo 16/11/2020-28/02/2021 nell'ambito del contratto ASI-INAF 2019-21-HH.0 riguardante i radar di Mars Express e di Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Fase E2 Continuazion