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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 108, NO. E12, 8085, doi:10.1029/2003JE002120, 2003

Meter-scale slopes of candidate MER landing sites from point photoclinometry

Ross A. Beyer

Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA


Alfred S. McEwen

Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA


Randolph L. Kirk

Astrogeology Team, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA


Abstract

Photoclinometry was used to analyze the small-scale roughness of areas that fall within the proposed Mars Exploration Rover (MER) 2003 landing ellipses. The landing ellipses presented in this study were those in Athabasca Valles, Elysium Planitia, Eos Chasma, Gusev Crater, Isidis Planitia, Melas Chasma, and Meridiani Planum. We were able to constrain surface slopes on length scales comparable to the image resolution (1.5 to 12 m/pixel). The MER 2003 mission has various engineering constraints that each candidate landing ellipse must satisfy. These constraints indicate that the statistical slope values at 5 m baselines are an important criterion. We used our technique to constrain maximum surface slopes across large swaths of each image, and built up slope statistics for the images in each landing ellipse. We are confident that all MER 2003 landing site ellipses in this study, with the exception of the Melas Chasma ellipse, are within the small-scale roughness constraints. Our results have provided input into the landing hazard assessment process. In addition to evaluating the safety of the landing sites, our mapping of small-scale roughnesses can also be used to better define and map morphologic units. The morphology of a surface is characterized by the slope distribution and magnitude of slopes. In looking at how slopes are distributed, we can better define landforms and determine the boundaries of morphologic units.

Received 13 May 2003; accepted 22 August 2003; published 4 December 2003.

Index Terms: 5464 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Remote sensing; 5470 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Surface materials and properties; 5494 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Instruments and techniques.

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Citation: Beyer, R. A., A. S. McEwen, and R. L. Kirk (2003), Meter-scale slopes of candidate MER landing sites from point photoclinometry, J. Geophys. Res., 108(E12), 8085, doi:10.1029/2003JE002120.