Big Data Analytics is an emerging field since massive storage and computing capabilities have been made available by advanced e-infrastructures. Earth and Environmental sciences are likely to benefit from Big Data Analytics techniques supporting the processing of the large number of Earth Observation datasets currently acquired and generated through observations and simulations. However, Earth Science data and applications present specificities in terms of relevance of the geospatial information, wide heterogeneity of data models and formats, and complexity of processing. Therefore, Big Earth Data Analytics requires specifically tailored techniques and tools. The EarthServer Big Earth Data Analytics engine offers a solution for coverage-type datasets, built around a high performance array database technology, and the adoption and enhancement of standards for service interaction (OGC WCS and WCPS). The EarthServer solution, led by the collection of requirements from scientific communities and international initiatives, provides a holistic approach that ranges from query languages and scalability up to mobile access and visualization. The result is demonstrated and validated through the development of lighthouse applications in the Marine, Geology, Atmospheric, Planetary and Cryospheric science domains.

We investigated the equatorial layered deposits (ELDs) of Arabia Terra, Mars, inFirsoff crater and on the adjacent plateau. We produced a detailed geological map that included a survey of the relative stratigraphic relations and crater count dating. We reconstructed the geometry of the layered deposits and inferred some compositional constraints. ELDs drape and onlap the plateau materials of late Noachian age, while they are unconformably covered by early and middle Amazonian units. ELDs show the presence of polyhydrated sulfates. The bulge morphology of the Firsoff crater ELDs appears to be largely depositional. The ELDs on the plateau display a sheet-drape geometry. ELDs show different characteristics between the crater and the plateau occurrences. In the crater they consist of mounds made of breccia sometimes displaying an apical pit laterally grading into a light-toned layered unit disrupted in a meter-scale polygonal pattern. These units are commonly associated with fi ssure ridges suggestive of subsurface sources. We interpret the ELDs inside the craters as spring deposits, originated by fl uid upwelling through the pathways likely provided by the fractures related to the crater formations, and debouching at the surface through the fi ssure ridges and the mounds, leading to evaporite precipitation. On the plateau, ELDs consist of rare mounds, fl atlying deposits, and cross-bedded dune fi elds. We interpret these mounds as possible smaller spring deposits, the fl at-lying deposits as playa deposits, and the cross-bedded dune fi elds as aeolian deposits. Groundwater fl uctuations appear to be the major factor controlling ELD deposition. Wind-related erosionYardangs 100 m B HiRISE PSP_004355_1830_RED Res. 0.25 m/pixel Main wind direction 100 m HiRISE ESP_016776_1810_RED Res. 0.5 m/pixel C 500 m CTX P06_003221_1815_XN_01N009W Res: 5.38 m/pixel Main wind direction Elevated lineament D Rim A B C D Figure 8. Erosional versus depositional morphologies. (A) Example of aeolian erosion with yardangs on equatorial layered deposits (ELDs). (B) ELD irregularly shaped layers. ELDs show rounded edges and lengthen in a direction and with geometries not consistent with formation by aeolian erosion. Main wind direction as inferred by yardang alignment is indicated at the top left. (C) ELD irregularly shaped layers. Some of the layers are characterized by the presence of rims. (D) Northwest-southeast-trending depression. Its regularity and trend do not seem consistent with an erosional formation by wind action. Main wind direction as inferred by yardang alignment is shown at the bottom left. Inside the depression, elevated lineaments (fi ssure ridges?), emphasized by mounds, are present. The location of the images is indicated in the HRSC mosaic at the top right of the fi gure.as

No abstract

No abstract

52Dust devils that leave dark-or light-toned tracks are common on Mars and they can also be proportional to the surface reflectance. However, although not observed so far, compositional 67 differences (i.e., color differences) might also lead to albedo contrasts when dust is removed 68 to expose substrate materials with mineralogical differences. For dark continuous DDTs, hemispheres produced by an increase in dust devil activity caused by maximum insolation. 91Regionally, dust devil densities vary spatially likely controlled by changes in dust cover 92 thicknesses and substrate materials. This variability makes it difficult to infer dust devil 93 activity from DDT frequencies. Furthermore, only a fraction of dust devils leave tracks, which 94 also seems to vary regionally. However, DDTs can be used as proxies for dust devil lifetimes 95 and wind directions and speeds, and they can also be used to predict lander or rover solar 96 panel clearing events. Overall, the high DDT frequency in many areas on Mars leads to 97 drastic albedo changes that affect large-scale weather patterns.