Dataset Information

Seasonal Deposition and Lifting of Dust on Mars as Observed by the Curiosity Rover.

ABSTRACT: In situ measurements by the Curiosity rover provide a unique opportunity for studying the effects of dust on assets placed at the surface of Mars. Here we use in situ measurements of solar UV radiation to quantify the seasonal and interannual variability of dust accumulation on the sensor on the rover deck. We show that the amount of dust accumulated on the sensor follows a seasonal cycle, with net dust removal during the perihelion season until L_s ~ 300°, and net dust deposition until the end of the aphelion season (L_s ~ 300°-180°). We use independent in situ measurements of atmospheric opacity and pressure perturbations in combination with numerical modeling, showing that daytime convective vortices and nighttime winds are likely responsible for the seasonal dust cleaning, with the role of nighttime wind being more important in Martian Year (MY) 32 than in MY 33 and that of daytime convective vortices being more important in MY 33 than in MY 32. The fact that the UV sensor is cleaner in MY 33 than in MY 32 indicates that natural cleaning events make solar energy an excellent candidate to power extended (multiannual) Mars missions at similar latitudes as the Curiosity rover.

SUBMITTER: Vicente-Retortillo A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6279765 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Seasonal Deposition and Lifting of Dust on Mars as Observed by the Curiosity Rover.

Vicente-Retortillo Á Á Martínez G M GM Renno N N Newman C E CE Ordonez-Etxeberria I I Lemmon M T MT Richardson M I MI Hueso R R Sánchez-Lavega A A

Scientific reports 20181204 1

In situ measurements by the Curiosity rover provide a unique opportunity for studying the effects of dust on assets placed at the surface of Mars. Here we use in situ measurements of solar UV radiation to quantify the seasonal and interannual variability of dust accumulation on the sensor on the rover deck. We show that the amount of dust accumulated on the sensor follows a seasonal cycle, with net dust removal during the perihelion season until L<sub>s</sub> ~ 300°, and net dust deposition unti ...[more]

PMID: 30514860

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Project description:NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its Curiosity rover, has been exploring Gale crater (5.4° S, 137.8° E) since 2012 with the goal of assessing the potential of Mars to support life. The mission has compiled compelling evidence that the crater basin accumulated sediment transported by marginal rivers into lakes that likely persisted for millions of years approximately 3.6 Ga ago in the early Hesperian. Geochemical and mineralogical assessments indicate that environmental conditions within this timeframe would have been suitable for sustaining life, if it ever were present. Fluids simultaneously circulated in the subsurface and likely existed through the dry phases of lake bed exposure and aeolian deposition, conceivably creating a continuously habitable subsurface environment that persisted to less than 3 Ga in the early Amazonian. A diversity of organic molecules has been preserved, though degraded, with evidence for more complex precursors. Solid samples show highly variable isotopic abundances of sulfur, chlorine, and carbon. In situ studies of modern wind-driven sediment transport and multiple large and active aeolian deposits have led to advances in understanding bedform development and the initiation of saltation. Investigation of the modern atmosphere and environment has improved constraints on the timing and magnitude of atmospheric loss, revealed the presence of methane and the crater's influence on local meteorology, and provided measurements of high-energy radiation at Mars' surface in preparation for future crewed missions. Rover systems and science instruments remain capable of addressing all key scientific objectives. Emphases on advance planning, flexibility, operations support work, and team culture have allowed the mission team to maintain a high level of productivity in spite of declining rover power and funding.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11214-022-00882-7.

Project description:The NASA Perseverance rover Mast Camera Zoom (Mastcam-Z) system is a pair of zoomable, focusable, multi-spectral, and color charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras mounted on top of a 1.7 m Remote Sensing Mast, along with associated electronics and two calibration targets. The cameras contain identical optical assemblies that can range in focal length from 26 mm ( 25.5∘×19.1∘FOV ) to 110 mm ( 6.2∘×4.2∘FOV ) and will acquire data at pixel scales of 148-540 μm at a range of 2 m and 7.4-27 cm at 1 km. The cameras are mounted on the rover's mast with a stereo baseline of 24.3±0.1 cm and a toe-in angle of 1.17±0.03∘ (per camera). Each camera uses a Kodak KAI-2020 CCD with 1600×1200 active pixels and an 8 position filter wheel that contains an IR-cutoff filter for color imaging through the detectors' Bayer-pattern filters, a neutral density (ND) solar filter for imaging the sun, and 6 narrow-band geology filters (16 total filters). An associated Digital Electronics Assembly provides command data interfaces to the rover, 11-to-8 bit companding, and JPEG compression capabilities. Herein, we describe pre-flight calibration of the Mastcam-Z instrument and characterize its radiometric and geometric behavior. Between April 26 th and May 9 th , 2019, ∼45,000 images were acquired during stand-alone calibration at Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) in San Diego, CA. Additional data were acquired during Assembly Test and Launch Operations (ATLO) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Kennedy Space Center. Results of the radiometric calibration validate a 5% absolute radiometric accuracy when using camera state parameters investigated during testing. When observing using camera state parameters not interrogated during calibration (e.g., non-canonical zoom positions), we conservatively estimate the absolute uncertainty to be <10% . Image quality, measured via the amplitude of the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) at Nyquist sampling (0.35 line pairs per pixel), shows MTFNyquist=0.26-0.50 across all zoom, focus, and filter positions, exceeding the >0.2 design requirement. We discuss lessons learned from calibration and suggest tactical strategies that will optimize the quality of science data acquired during operation at Mars. While most results matched expectations, some surprises were discovered, such as a strong wavelength and temperature dependence on the radiometric coefficients and a scene-dependent dynamic component to the zero-exposure bias frames. Calibration results and derived accuracies were validated using a Geoboard target consisting of well-characterized geologic samples.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11214-021-00795-x.

Dataset Information

Seasonal Deposition and Lifting of Dust on Mars as Observed by the Curiosity Rover.

Publications

Seasonal Deposition and Lifting of Dust on Mars as Observed by the Curiosity Rover.

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