Constraining Martian Water Abundance via Combination of MONS and CRISM data

Details Constraining Martian Water Abundance via Combination of MONS and CRISM data Constraining Martian Water Abundance via Combination of MONS and CRISM data

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufm.p54b..04t&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #P54B-04

Statistics

Computation

[0540] Computational Geophysics / Image Processing, [5410] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Composition, [5462] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Polar Regions, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars

Scientific paper

The Mars Odyssey Mission carries a collection of three instruments whose main aim is to determine the elemental composition of the top layers of the martian surface materials. Among them, the Neutron Spectrometer has produced a wealth of data that has allowed a comprehensive study of the overall distribution of hydrogen on the surface of Mars [1]. In brief, deposits ranging between 20% and 100% Water-Equivalent Hydrogen (WEH) by mass are found pole-ward of 55 deg. latitude, and less rich, but still significant, deposits are found at near-equatorial latitudes. However, the Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer (MONS) has a spatial resolution with FWHM of ~550 km. Hence, if one wants to associate WEH with geologic features and with mineralogy observed independently, then this must address the MONS instrumental smearing needs to be properly understood and removed. Usually, in the presence of noise, this is an ill posed problem that requires the use of a statistical approach [2]. Teodoro et al [3] have carried out a study of the martian polar regions applying such a methodology to Martian epithermal neutrons. An exciting prospect is to obtain more accurate WEH estimates from MONS polar data that incorporates independent knowledge/estimates of WEH from other data. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter-Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (MRO-CRISM) has identified numerous locations on Mars where certain locales where hydrous minerals have been identified (e.g. [4]). This independent information can, perhaps, help to impose additional constraints to the statistical evaluation of the MONS data. In turn the combined data can provide more robust estimates of the real extent or the original volume of surface water needed to create evaporated deposits or other sedimentary units. This work will present the results of applying a Pixon image reconstruction approach to the Mars Odyssey polar epithermal neutron data coupled with information regarding the distribution of water and hydroxyls, including hydrous mineralogy References [1] W. Feldman et al., 2004, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets) 109(E18):9006; [2] R.K. Pina et al. 1992, PASP 104:1096; Eke 2001 Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 324:108; [3] L.F.A. Teodoro et al 2010 (in preparation) [4] A. J. Brown and W. M. Calvin (2010). MRO (CRISM/MARCI) Mapping of the North Pole — First Mars Year of Observations. LPSC XXXXI, Houston, TX, LPI

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