Mapping compositional and particle size variations across Silver Lake Playa: Relevance to analyses of Mars TIR data

Abstract

The high spectral and spatial resolution thermal infrared (TIR) data to be acquired from the upcoming Mars Observer-Thermal Emission Spectra (TES) mission will map the composition and texture of the Martian sediments. To prepare for these data, portions of two remote sensing experiments were conducted to test procedures for extracting surface property information from TIR data. Reported here is the continuing analysis of Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data, field emission spectra, laboratory Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) reflectance spectra, and field observations with respect to the physical characteristics (composition, emissivity, etc.) of Silver Lake playa in southern California