The imager for Mars Pathfinder experiment

Smith, Peter H.; Tomasko, M. G.; Britt, D. T.; Crowe, Devon G.; Reid, Robert J.; Keller, H. U.; Thomas, N.; Gliem, F.; Rueffer, P.; Sullivan, Robert; Greeley, R.; Knudsen, J. M.; Madsen, M. B.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Hviid, S. F.; Goetz, W.; Soderblom, Laurence A.; Gaddis, L. R.; Kirk, Randolph L.

doi:10.1029/96je03568

Cited by 138 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…A description of the design and operation of the IMP was given by Smith et al [1997b]. IMP is an electronically shuttered, multispectral binocular imager, in which light from each eye is diverted by a nfirror through a spectral filter and to a separate half of a CCD.…”

Section: Overview and Analyticalmethodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical, multispectral, and textural constraints on the composition and origin of rocks at the Mars Pathfinder landing site

McSween¹,

Murchie²,

Crisp³

et al. 1999

J. Geophys. Res.

232

166

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Abstract. Rocks at the Mars Pathfinder site are probably locally derived. Textures on rock surfaces may indicate volcanic, sedimentary, or impact-generated rocks, but aeolian abration and dust coatings prevent unambiguous interpretation. Multispectral imaging has resolved four spectral classes of rocks: gray and red, which occur on different surfaces of the same rocks; pink, which is probably soil crusts; and maroon, which occurs as large boulders, mostly in the far field. Rocks are assigned to two spectral trends based on the position of peak reflectance: the primary spectral trend contains gray, red, and pink rocks; maroon rocks constitute the secondary spectral trend. The spatial pattern of spectral variations observed is oriented along the prevailing wind direction. The primary spectral trend arises from thin ferric coatings of aeolian dust on darker rocks. The secondary spectral trend is apparently due to coating by a different mineral, probably maghemite or ferrihydrite. A chronology based on rock spectra suggests that rounded maroon boulders constitute the oldest petrologic unit (a flood deposit), succeeded by smaller cobbles possibly deposited by impact, and followed by aeolian erosion and deposition. Nearly linear chemical trends in alpha proton X-ray spectrometer rock compositions are interpreted as mixing lines between rock and adhering dust, a conclusion supported by a correlation between sulfur abundance and red/blue spectral ratio. Extrapolations of regression lines to zero sulfur give the composition of a presumed igneous rock. The chemistry and normative mineralogy of the sulfurfree rock resemble common terrestrial volcanic rocks, and its classification corresponds to andesite. Igneous rocks of this composition my occur with clastic sedimentary rocks or impact melts and breccias. However, the spectral mottling expected on conglomerates or breccias is not observed in any APXS-analyzed rocks. Interpretation of the rocks as andesites is complicated by absence of a "1 gm" pyroxene absorption band. Plausible explanations include impact glass, band masking by magnetite, or presence of calcium-and iron-rich pyroxenes and olivine which push the absorption band minimum past the imager's spectral range. The inferred andesitic composition is most sinfilar to terrestrial anorogenic icelandites, formed by fractionation of tholeiitic basaltic magmas. Early melting of a relatively primitive Martian mantle could produce an appropriate parent magma, supporting the ancient age of Patlff•nder rocks inferred from their incorporation in Hesperian flood deposits. Although rocks of andesitic composition at the Patlff•nder site may represent samples of ancient Martian crust, inferences drawn about a necessary role for water or plate tectonics in their petrogenesis are probably unwarranted.

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Section: Overview and Analyticalmethodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical, multispectral, and textural constraints on the composition and origin of rocks at the Mars Pathfinder landing site

McSween¹,

Murchie²,

Crisp³

et al. 1999

J. Geophys. Res.

232

166

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“…D.T. Britt manufactured the swatches following processes and procedures developed for calibration target materials used in the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) investigation (Smith et al 1997).…”

Section: Gray and Color Swatch Targetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) Investigation

et al. 2012

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The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) investigation will use a 2-megapixel color camera with a focusable macro lens aboard the rover, Curiosity, to investigate the stratigraphy and grain-scale texture, structure, mineralogy, and morphology of geologic materials in northwestern Gale crater. Of particular interest is the stratigraphic record of a ∼5 km thick layered rock sequence exposed on the slopes of Aeolis Mons (also known as Mount Sharp). The instrument consists of three parts, a camera head mounted on the turret at the end of a robotic arm, an electronics and data storage assembly located inside the rover body, and a calibration target mounted on the robotic arm shoulder azimuth actuator housing. MAHLI can acquire in-focus images at working distances from ∼2.1 cm to infinity. At the minimum working distance, image pixel scale is ∼14 µm per pixel and very coarse silt grains can be resolved. At the working distance of the Mars Exploration Rover Microscopic Imager cameras aboard Spirit and Opportunity, MAHLI's resolution is comparable at ∼30 µm per pixel. Onboard capabilities include autofocus, autoexposure, sub-framing, video imaging, Bayer pattern color interpolation, lossy and lossless compression, focus merging of up to 8 focus stack images, white light and longwave ultraviolet (365 nm) illumination of nearby subjects, and 8 gigabytes of non-volatile memory data storage.

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“…The Mars Pathfinder mission exploited these opportunities by focusing on the morphological, geochemical, and mineralogical characterization of a geologically interesting and climatically diagnostic region of the Martian surface [Golombek, 1997]. Specifically, the mission carried a lander with enhanced multispectral imaging capabilities relative to Viking and an optimized magnetics properties experiment [Smith et al, 1997a], as well as the ability to measure the elemental chemistry of soils and rocks [Rieder et al, 1997a] from a highly mobile rover that could also perform soil mechanics experiments (digging, scraping) and provide up-close imaging of rock and soil textures [Rover Team, 1997a].…”

Section: Mars Pathfinder Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) is a CCD-based imaging system capable of high-quality spectrophotometric observations using 15 narrowband "geology" filters in 12 unique wavelengths from 440 nm to 10()0 nm [Smith et al, 1997a]. …”

Section: Imp Imaging and Magnetic Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineralogic and compositional properties of Martian soil and dust: Results from Mars Pathfinder

Bell¹,

McSween²,

Crisp³

et al. 2000

J. Geophys. Res.

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290

222

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Abstract. Mars Pathfinder obtained multispectral, elemental, magnetic, and physical measurements of soil and dust at the Sagan Memorial Station during the course of its 83 sol mission. We describe initial results from these measurements, concentrating on multispectral and elemental data, and use these data, along with previous Viking, SNC meteorite, and telescopic results, to help constrain the origin and evolution of Martian soil and dust. We find that soils and dust can be divided into at least eight distinct spectral units, based on parameterization of Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) 400 to 1000 nm multispectral images. The most distinctive spectral parameters for soils and dust are the reflectivity in the red, the red/blue reflectivity ratio, the near-IR spectral slope, and the strength of the 800 to 1000 nm absorption feature. Most of the Pathfinder spectra are consistent with the presence of poorly crystalline or nanophase ferric oxide(s), sometimes mixed with small but varying degrees of well-crystalline ferric and ferrous phases. Darker soil units appear to be coarser-grained. compacted, and/or mixed with a larger amount of dark ferrous materials relative to bright soils. Nanophase goethite, akaganeite, schwertmannite, and maghemite are leading candidates for the origin of the absorption centered near 900 nm in IMP spectra.

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The imager for Mars Pathfinder experiment

Cited by 138 publications

References 32 publications

Chemical, multispectral, and textural constraints on the composition and origin of rocks at the Mars Pathfinder landing site

Chemical, multispectral, and textural constraints on the composition and origin of rocks at the Mars Pathfinder landing site

Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) Investigation

Mineralogic and compositional properties of Martian soil and dust: Results from Mars Pathfinder

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