Researchers: Dr Graziella Caprarelli , Dr Mike Lake (Associated with) , Michael R Lake
Brief description
Search, download, processing, mapping, analysis and interpretation of Mars data sets from space missions for the purpose of reconstructing the geological evolution of Mars.
Full description
Detailed mapping of the surface of planets helps to establish models of planetary evolution, providing clues to the evolution of the solar system. For example, Mars Odyssey THEMIS visual data; Mars Global Surveyor MOLA (altimetry) and MOC Narrow angle data can be used to describe geological units, crater and relative chronology, and to carry out a detailed morphometric analysis. The collected evidence and its interpretation allows researchers to define the geological history of regions of Mars. Mars imaging data is requested and collected from publicly available archives in the most highly processed form. Where the data is not already radiometrically or geometrically corrected, in-house processing is conducted using procedures based on NASA's ISIS (Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers) software tools. Researchers may access the processed data and map the georeferenced rasters using off-the-shelf GIS software to carry out analysis and interpretation for publication in the scientific literature.