Long-Distance 3D Reconstructions Using Photogrammetry with Curiosity’s ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager in Gale Crater (Mars)

Abstract

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity landed in Gale crater (Mars) in August 2012. It has since been studying the lower part of the 5 km-high sedimentary pile that composes Gale’s central mound, Aeolis Mons. To assess the sedimentary record, the MSL team mainly uses a suite of imagers onboard the rover, providing various pixel sizes and fields of view from close to long-range observations. For this latter, we notably use the Remote Micro Imager (RMI), a subsystem of the ChemCam instrument that acts as 700 mm-focal length telescope, providing the smallest angular pixel size of the set of cameras on the Remote Sensing Mast. The RMI allows observations of remote outcrops up to a few kilometers away from the rover. As retrieving 3D information is critical to characterize the structures of the sedimentary deposits, we describe in this work an experiment aiming at computing for the first time with RMI Digital Outcrop Models of these distant outcrops. We show that Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry can successfully be applied to suitable sets of individual RMI frames to reconstruct the 3D shape and relief of these distant outcrops. These results show that a dedicated set of observations can be envisaged to characterize the most interesting geological features surrounding the rover.

Overview of the Morphology and Chemistry of Diagenetic Features in the Clay‐Rich Glen Torridon Unit of Gale Crater, Mars

“…Alternatively, the sulfate bearing unit may instead represent a primarily mudstone or sandstone deposit in a fluvial lacustrine setting that has experienced a different set of sulfaterelated diagenetic processes than what has previously been observed along the rover traverse. As we have only just entered the lower reaches of the sulfate unit as of this writing, we can only speculate on the fine scale strata of the region above our current location based on long distance imagery (e.g., Dromart et al, 2021;Caravaca et al, 2021), and observations from orbit (Milliken et al, 2010;Fraeman et al, 2016). Hence, this paper sets a baseline for diagenesis below the sulfate unit before further exploration of higher Mt Sharp strata.…”

Depositional Facies and Sequence Stratigraphy of Kodiak Butte, Western Delta of Jezero Crater, Mars

“…Figure S1c in Supporting Information ), after a method proposed by Caravaca et al. (2021). This model permits close observation of this area of the Kodiak butte, allowing the spatial characterization and measurement of features as small as 3 cm.…”

“…This technique is particularly well‐suited to perform the computation of accurate, photorealistic 3D models of given outcrops. This technique has been widely used in recent years on Earth geological structures (e.g., Tavani et al., 2014; Triantafyllou et al., 2019) as well as in the Planetary Geology community (e.g., Banham et al., 2022; Barnes et al., 2018; Caravaca et al., 2020, 2021, 2022; Le Mouélic et al., 2018, 2020). These models, based on images taken by the Perseverance rover, allow us to reconstruct geological features at Kodiak in 3‐dimensions, permitting various points of view, which is particularly helpful since all images were taken from typically more than 700 m away from the butte.…”

Structural influences on groundwater circulation in the Makgadikgadi salt pans of Botswana? Implications for martian playa environments

“…Some of the areas where the playa environment has been identified, including Meridiani Planum (Grotzinger et al, 2005;Andrews-Hanna et al, 2010) and Arabia Terra (Franchi et al, 2014;Pondrelli et al, 2015;Pozzobon et al, 2019), occur within a regional paleo-hydrological system characterized by groundwater upwelling (see global model in Andrews-Hanna et al, 2007). Polygonal (desiccation) cracks and occurrence of chlorides in association with smectite in playa-like settings across Mars are other indirect evidencefor the existence of large ephemeral lakes that led to the deposition of lacustrine and interbedded evaporitic deposits within topographical lows and basins (e.g., El Maarry et al, 2013;Nachon et al, 2014;Rapin et al, 2016;Stein et al, 2018;Caravaca et al, 2021;Caravaca et al, 2022).…”