Surface and subsurface composition of the Life in the Atacama field sites from rover data and orbital image analysis

	Become an AGU Member Subscribe to AGU Journals



Read Full Article (file size: 1346596 bytes) Cited by JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 112, G04S04, doi:10.1029/2006JG000317, 2007 Surface and subsurface composition of the Life in the Atacama field sites from rover data and orbital image analysis Jennifer L. Piatek Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Craig Hardgrove Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Jeffrey E. Moersch Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Darrell M. Drake Michael B. Wyatt Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA Michael Rampey Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Orion Carlisle Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Kim Warren-Rhodes Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA James M. Dohm Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Andrew N. Hock Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA Nathalie A. Cabrol Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA David S. Wettergreen Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Edmond A. Grin Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA Guillermo Chong Diaz Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile Peter Coppin Eventscope, Remote Experience and Learning Laboratory, Studio for Creative Inquiry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Shmuel Weinstein Molecular Biosensor and Imaging Center, Mellon Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Charles S. Cockell Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK Lucia Marinangeli International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Pescara, Italy Gian Gabriele Ori International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Pescara, Italy Trey Smith Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Dominic Jonak Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Michael Wagner Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Kristen Stubbs Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Geb Thomas GROK Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Erin Pudenz GROK Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Justin Glasgow GROK Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Abstract The Life in the Atacama project examined six different sites in the Atacama Desert (Chile) over 3 years in an attempt to remotely detect the presence of life with a rover. The remote science team, using only orbital and rover data sets, identified areas with a high potential for life as targets for further inspection by the rover. Orbital data in the visible/near infrared (VNIR) and in the thermal infrared (TIR) were used to examine the mineralogy, geomorphology, and chlorophyll potential of the field sites. Field instruments included two spectrometers (VNIR reflectance and TIR emission) and a neutron detector: this project represents the first time a neutron detector has been used as part of a “science-blind” rover field test. Rover-based spectroscopy was used to identify the composition of small scale features not visible in the orbital images and to improve interpretations of those data sets. The orbital and ground-based data sets produced consistent results, suggesting that much of the field sites consist of altered volcanic terrains with later deposits of sulfates, quartz, and iron oxides. At one location (Site A), the ground-based spectral data revealed considerably greater compositional diversity than was seen from the orbital view. One neutron detector transect provided insight into subsurface hydrogen concentrations, which correlated with life and surface features. The results presented here have implications for targeting strategies, especially for future Mars rover missions looking for potential habitats/paleohabitats. Received 19 September 2006; accepted 16 August 2007; published 20 October 2007. Keywords: spectroscopy; remote sensing; life in extreme environments; Mars; instruments and techniques. Index Terms: 3934 Mineral Physics: Optical, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy; 5464 Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Remote sensing; 0456 Biogeosciences: Life in extreme environments; 6225 Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars; 0452 Biogeosciences: Instruments and techniques. Read Full Article (file size: 1346596 bytes) Cited by Citation: Piatek, J. L., et al. (2007), Surface and subsurface composition of the Life in the Atacama field sites from rover data and orbital image analysis, J. Geophys. Res., 112, G04S04, doi:10.1029/2006JG000317. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Abstract