TY - GEN
T1 - Exploring the Martian subsurface of Athabasca using MARSIS radar data
T2 - 2009 IEEE Radar Conference, RADAR 2009
AU - Boisson, Josephine
AU - Heggy, Essam
AU - Frigeri, Alessandro
AU - Farrell, William M.
AU - Picardi, Giovanni
AU - Clifford, Stephen M.
AU - Plaut, Jeffrey J.
AU - Putzig, Nathaniel
AU - Orosei, Roberto
AU - Gurnett, Donald A.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - This work aims to test the formation hypotheses of the rafted-plate morphology observed in the Martian area of Athabasca Valles (5°N, 150°E,) using the subsurface radar echo from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) 5 MHz-band data over this area. The backscattered signal losses are compared to those arising from two geoelectrical subsurface models (differing in their assumed ice content) generated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Within this region, the MARSIS signal experience average losses of 0.09dB/m in the first 160 m beneath the surface. FDTD simulations suggests that, if the near-surface environment is ice-rich (80% by volume), it will result in average losses of 0.048dB/m, whereas the losses associated with an ice-poor model (20% of ice by volume) increase to 0.10dB/m. Comparing the observed MARSIS losses with the simulated ones suggests that the propagation characteristics of Athabasca's subsurface are more consistent with a volcanic rather than a fluvial origin for the rafted-plate terrain.
AB - This work aims to test the formation hypotheses of the rafted-plate morphology observed in the Martian area of Athabasca Valles (5°N, 150°E,) using the subsurface radar echo from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) 5 MHz-band data over this area. The backscattered signal losses are compared to those arising from two geoelectrical subsurface models (differing in their assumed ice content) generated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Within this region, the MARSIS signal experience average losses of 0.09dB/m in the first 160 m beneath the surface. FDTD simulations suggests that, if the near-surface environment is ice-rich (80% by volume), it will result in average losses of 0.048dB/m, whereas the losses associated with an ice-poor model (20% of ice by volume) increase to 0.10dB/m. Comparing the observed MARSIS losses with the simulated ones suggests that the propagation characteristics of Athabasca's subsurface are more consistent with a volcanic rather than a fluvial origin for the rafted-plate terrain.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/69949100670
U2 - 10.1109/RADAR.2009.4976987
DO - 10.1109/RADAR.2009.4976987
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:69949100670
SN - 9781424428717
T3 - IEEE National Radar Conference - Proceedings
BT - 2009 IEEE Radar Conference, RADAR 2009
Y2 - 4 May 2009 through 8 May 2009
ER -