Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p23c0069h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P23C-0069
Mathematics
Logic
5410 Composition (1060, 3672), 5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5464 Remote Sensing, 5499 General Or Miscellaneous
Scientific paper
The 2001 Mars Odyssey Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) instrument package has returned chemical abundance maps of the Martian surface for a suite of elements (Fe, Si, Cl, H, K, Th). Due to a low resolution (>250 km footprint), smoothing effects inherent to the instruments, and the data processing methods, analysis of smaller geologic features can be statistically problematic. However, mean elemental abundances can be determined for larger geologic provinces and specifically defined regions with enough areal extent to produce sufficiently robust statistics. Here we compare GRS-derived element abundances to other Martian global datasets in order to evaluate statistically and geologically meaningful differences. Although outlier regions exist, GRS data reveal a Martian surface more chemically homogeneous than the surfaces of the Earth or moon. Chemical variations are often subtle and difficult to discern. However, even with muted variation and large uncertainties, comparing GRS elemental means and other datasets still reveal statistically robust differences using standard z-statistic tests at high confidence intervals. Note that "statistically significant" differences may not be geologically significant. This method has been employed to determine subtle but statistically significant variations in several element abundances with apparent surface age (e.g., Fe and Cl abundances increase with younger ages; K and Th decrease with younger ages) revealing possible constraints on crustal evolution and surficial processes. We also compared the variations in elemental abundances to variations in specific mineralogies and dust abundance as determined by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument. This allows an important link between chemistry and mineralogy and further helps constrain the effects of surface dust on remote sensing data.
Hahn Brian C.
McLennan Scott M.
Odyssey GRS Science Team
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