Extracting Accurate and Precise Topography From Lroc Narrow Angle Camera Stereo Observations

Abstract

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) includes two identical Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC) that acquire meter scale imaging. Stereo observations are acquired by imaging from two or more orbits, including at least one off-nadir slew. Digital terrain models (DTMs) generated from the stereo observations are controlled to Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) elevation profiles. With current processing methods, digital terrain models (DTM) have absolute accuracies commensurate than the uncertainties of the LOLA profiles (~10 m horizontally and ~1 m vertically) and relative horizontal and vertical precisions better than the pixel scale of the DTMs (2 to 5 m). The NAC stereo pairs and derived DTMs represent an invaluable tool for science and exploration purposes. We computed slope statistics from 81 highland and 31 mare DTMs across a range of baselines. Overlapping DTMs of single stereo sets were also combined to form larger area DTM mosaics, enabling detailed characterization of large geomorphic features and providing a key resource for future exploration planning. Currently, two percent of the lunar surface is imaged in NAC stereo and continued acquisition of stereo observations will serve to strengthen our knowledge of the Moon and geologic processes that occur on all the terrestrial planets.

New View of the Lunar Silicic Volcanism in the Mons Hansteen: Formation and Origins

“…In this study, the TC morning images with stronger lighting and less shadow were used to analyze the geomorphologic features, and the TC DTM data were adopted to expose the relief characteristics. Due to the high spatial resolution of NAC images (∼0.5 m/pixel) (Henriksen et al, 2016;Robinson et al, 2010), a NAC image and NAC DTM data are employed to disclose the subtle geomorphologic and topographic features in the Mons Hansteen. In addition, the terrain slope for a slope analysis of the Mons Hansteen was calculated from the TC DTM data.…”

“…The NAC, WAC and NAC DTM data (Henriksen et al, 2016;Klem et al, 2014;Wagner et al, 2015) are provided by the LROC team (https://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc/rdr_product_select). The TC morning image and TC DTM are offered by the Kaguya team, Product ID: DTM_MAP_02_S09E309S12E312SC and DTM_MAP_02_ S12E309S15E312SC (https://darts.isas.jaxa.jp/planet/pdap/selene/product_search.html).…”

“…The yellow lines indicate the boundary between the Pitted unit and Hilly dissected unit. (b) A three-dimensional-view of the Mons Hansteen produced by a NAC image and NAC DTM data (File Nos: NAC_ROI_HANSTEENLOA_E124S3098 and NAC_DTM_ HANSTEENAL(Henriksen et al, 2016;Klem et al, 2014)). Red arrows point to the depression.…”