A Miniature Sensor for Measuring Soil Wetness and Searching for Brines on Mars and Beyond

Details A Miniature Sensor for Measuring Soil Wetness and Searching for Brines on Mars and Beyond A Miniature Sensor for Measuring Soil Wetness and Searching for Brines on Mars and Beyond

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p11c1602e&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P11C-1602

Physics

[5415] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Erosion And Weathering, [5419] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, [6094] Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies / Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

Measurement of the soil moisture in the Martian regolith is critical to understanding the water vapor cycle of the planet and has important implications for weathering, glaciology, geochemistry, and habitability. Here we present the prototype of a microwave remote sensing instrument able to monitor the soil moisture through measurement of the soil's dielectric constant and loss factor. When placed in contact with the soil, the sensor is able to detect liquid brines by measuring a shift in its resonant frequency and the broadening of its resonance curve. It is envisioned that such a sensor may be deployed as part of a suite of instruments to detect the presence of brine layers [Renno et al., 2009] and pockets in the top 0.1 m of the Martian regolith. With this aim in mind, we are presenting preliminary results of a brassboard instrument during characterization in a simulated Martian environment.

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