Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p42c..02d&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P42C-02
Physics
[5419] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, [5464] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Remote Sensing
Scientific paper
The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) describes how incoming light from a given direction is reflected from specific surfaces in response to different incoming solar radiation angles. The amount and directionality of reflected light is a function of surface roughness and orientation. The goal of this study is to assess whether a BRDF based approach may be applicable for creating surface roughness maps for Martian alluvial fans. Landsat 7 satellite imagery is used to make classifications of surfaces with different roughness and spectral properties for alluvial fan surfaces in Death Valley, California. The resulting classes have been interpreted to represent surfaces of different ages and also different deposit types. In Death Valley, older surfaces are classified based on the amount of shadowing due to gully formation, differences in the amount of surface smoothness from desert pavement formation, and desert varnish color variations. In contrast, the most recently formed surfaces have an assemblage of classes that represent surface deposits of different grain size and sorting, as well as different landform types - incised channels and elevated bars. Many Death Valley fans have a telescoping morphology where progressively younger surfaces reach basin-ward. This is more evident on some fans using a BRDF classification. A similar map was made for depositional landforms within Mojave Crater on Mars, identified as sub-kilometer alluvial fans by Williams and Malin (2008). These alluvial fans are the youngest found on Mars (Amazonian age) and have topographic similarities to fans in the southwestern US. Any geomorphic similarities between Death Valley fans and those within Mojave Crater can be assessed using surface roughness. Imagery from both the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Camera (CTX) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) were used to compare differences in spatial resolution on BRDF classifications. The resulting surface roughness maps are strikingly similar in classes and patterns to many fans within Death Valley. The surfaces interpreted by Williams and Malin (2008) to be evidence of multiple flow events are clearly classified using BRDF. In addition to age differences, possible locations of materials with different grain size and sorting are also identified. Since the BRDF classes of certain surface features on Earth and Mars fans largely overlap, field observations for each class type made for Death Valley fan surfaces may be useful for understanding the past fluvial processes on Mars and their similarities with fan forming processes in arid regions on Earth. This remote sensing approach has the potential to provide a tool for studying fans that may be inaccessible or too large for extensive fieldwork.
Doyle S. L.
Scuderi Louis A.
Scuderi Louis J.
Weissmann Gary S.
Wilkinson M. J.
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