T138 Geomorphology and Landscape Evolution of Mars

Monday, 5 November 2018
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 236-237

MANY WORLDS, MANY MAPS, MANY USERS: COORDINATING SIMULTANEOUS MAPPING EFFORTS WITH INTEGRATED DATASETS, XANTHE TERRA, MARS

Paper number: T138-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 2:25 PM – 2:40 PM

Authors

Abstract

Several terraced fan deposits have been identified within the Xanthe Terra region of Mars. Our research aims to determine the formational processes that led to the creation of these fans, through geologic mapping of multiple fans and compositional data study. We studied fan deposits within Camichel Crater (2.69°N, 308.33°E) and Shalbatana Vallis (3.06°N, 316.73°E), using imagery from the Context Camera (CTX) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) to resolve features in the study areas. These mapping efforts were coordinated alongside four additional terraced fan maps in Dukhan Crater, Subur Vallis, Tyras Vallis, and on a second fan in Shalbatana Vallis.

In order to identify what features may be common to fans in the Xanthe Terra region, six users mapped fans concurrently using ArcGIS Pro. CTX and HiRISE imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) were processed and brought into ArcGIS Pro, in addition to global THEMIS data available from the WMS Mars Server. Geologic maps were created based off the HiRISE imagery at an ultra high-resolution scale (1:18,000) with mapping conducted consistently at the 1:4,000 scale. Workflows for mapping were adapted from USGS standards for ArcGIS Pro, and geologic contacts were created based off the HiRISE imagery. Linear features such as aeolian dunes and point features such as boulders were resolved on the fan deposits. In order to encompass the entire fan, CTX imagery for the Camichel Crater and Shalbatana Vallis fans were mapped at a lower resolution 1:32,000 scale. Incorporating mapping on the CTX imagery ensured accurate classification of contacts when creating the definition of map units (DOMU). Upon completion of mapping, the DOMU and correlation of map units (COMU) were created for each geologic map.

With the conclusion of coordinated mapping efforts, users are now able to integrate compositional data from instruments such as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) to see patterns across multiple fans. This next step merges orbital imagery datasets with remote sensing data, currently the best way to analyze small-scale mineralogical patterns on the surface of Mars.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2018AM-321809

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