Spectral Diversity of Exposed Materials at Meridiani Planum, Mars, via Pancam Aboard the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity
by Thompson, Shane D., M.S., UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2010, 183 pages; 1484066

Abstract:

Previous analyses of multispectral data of exposed materials at Meridiani Planum from the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, reported on sampling Pancam spectra for large areas of surface type exposures. In those analyses, the likelihood of spectral mixing from other material types and shadows was influential on the spectral profiles and thus not optimally measuring the spectra of the material type of interest. This study expands on previous efforts by sampling pixels specifically indicative of each material type exposed along the rover’s traverse from the landing site in Eagle crater to the 800 m diameter Victoria crater. Careful selection of pixels was done to not include other material types when focusing on sampling each material type, allowing a more detailed analysis of the material types and their classifications. The results of this study conclusively showed that calibration efforts maintained reliability throughout the traverse and over the first four years of the mission, and that the bedrock materials have several sub-classes of light- and dark-toned color, layered and massive, buff and purple colored in false color composites, dust covered, and dust-free exposures. The bedrock sub-classes essentially have similar spectra with slight differences in the visible wavelengths for the buff- and purple-colored bedrock, and a lower Fe signature reported in the dark-toned outcrop. The stratigraphic section of the Burns Fm, laterally and vertically over 10 km and 7 m, respectively, does not exhibit spectral differences indicating the bedrock stratigraphy exposed in the region of the landing site and traverse was deposited in a consistent climatic environment or that the secondary diagenetic effects have overprinted a common mineralogy throughout.

 
AdviserWendy M. Calvin
SchoolUNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO
SourceMAI/ 49-03, p. , Feb 2011
Source TypeThesis
SubjectsGeology; Planetology; Remote sensing
Publication Number1484066
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1484066
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.