The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on 2001 Mars Odyssey will investigate the surface mineralogy and physical properties of Mars using multi-spectral thermal-infrared images in nine wavelengths centered from 6.8 to 14.9 μm, and visible/near-infrared images in five bands centered from 0.42 to 0.86 μm. THEMIS will map the entire planet in both day and night multi-spectral infrared images at 100-m per pixel resolution, 60% of the planet in one-band visible images at 18-m per pixel, and several percent of the planet in 5-band visible color. Most geologic materials, including carbonates, silicates, sulfates, phosphates, and hydroxides have strong fundamental vibrational absorption bands in the thermal-infrared spectral region that provide diagnostic information on mineral composition. The ability to identify a wide range of minerals allows key aqueous minerals, such as carbonates and hydrothermal silica, to be placed into their proper geologic context. The specific objectives of this investigation are to: (1) determine the mineralogy and petrology of localized deposits associated with hydrothermal or sub-aqueous environments, and to identify future landing sites likely to represent these environments; (2) search for thermal anomalies associated with active sub-surface hydrothermal systems; (3) study small-scale geologic processes and landing site characteristics using morphologic and thermophysical properties; and (4) investigate polar cap processes at all seasons. THEMIS follows the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) experiments, providing substantially higher spatial resolution IR multi-spectral images to complement TES hyperspectral (143-band) global mapping, and regional visible imaging at scales intermediate between the Viking and MOC cameras.

/pdf/the-thermal-emission-imaging-system-themis-for-the-mars-2001-2lnqzwn80z.pdf

The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) for the Mars 2001 Odyssey mission

Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) are used to determine compositions and distributions of martian low-albedo regions. Two surface spectral signatures are identified from low-albedo regions. Comparisons with spectra of terrestrial rock samples and deconvolution results indicate that the two compositions are a basaltic composition dominated by plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene and an andesitic composition dominated by plagioclase feldspar and volcanic glass. The distribution of the two compositions is split roughly along the planetary dichotomy. The basaltic composition is confined to older surfaces, and the more silicic composition is concentrated in the younger northern plains.

/pdf/a-global-view-of-martian-surface-compositions-from-mgs-tes-59x74xgu4y.pdf

A Global View of Martian Surface Compositions from MGS-TES

A linear retrieval (spectral deconvolution) algorithm is developed and applied to high-resolution laboratory infrared spectra of particulate mixtures and their end-members. The purpose is to place constraints on, and test the viability of, linear spectral deconvolution of high-resolution emission spectra. The effects of addition of noise, data reproducibility, particle size variation, an increasing number of minerals in the mixtures, and blind end-member input are also examined. Thermal emission spectra of 70 mineral mixtures ranging from 2 to 15 end-members and having particle diameters of 250-500 μm were obtained. Deconvolution results show that the assumption of linear mixing is valid and enables mineral percentage prediction to within 5% on average with residual errors of less than 0.1% total emissivity. One suite (21 distinct mixtures), varying from <10 μm to 500 μm, was also prepared to test the limits of the model at decreasing particle sizes. Incoherent volume scattering at grain diameters less than several times the wavelength (∼60 μm) produces significant changes in spectral band morphology and hence, an increase in the root-mean-squared (RMS) error of the model. Because of this, it appears that spectral mixing remains essentially linear to ∼60 μm (using the 250-500 μm size fraction as end-members). Below this threshold, the linear retrieval algorithm fails. However, with the appropriate particle diameter end-member spectra for the corresponding mixtures, the errors are reduced significantly and linearity continues through to the 10-20 μm size fraction. Additions of increasing amounts of noise cause a deviation of an additional 2.4%, whereas variability due to spectrometer reproducibility produces an average error of 4.0%. The model is also able to detect accurately minerals in mixtures containing 15 end-members, well beyond the number of geological significance. Extensive error analysis and model testing confirm the appropriateness of linear deconvolution as a useful and powerful tool to examine complexly mixed emission spectra in the laboratory and the field. The results of this study provide a foundation for remote sensing analyses of thermal infrared data from current airborne and future satellite instruments planned for Earth and Mars.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/97JB02784

Mineral abundance determination: Quantitative deconvolution of thermal emission spectra

[1] Determining the mineralogy of Mars is an essential part of revealing the conditions of the surface and subsurface. A deconvolution method was used to remove atmospheric components and determine surface mineralogy from Thermal Emission Spectrometer data at 1 pixel per degree (ppd). Minerals are grouped into categories on the basis of compositional and spectral similarity, and global concentration maps are produced. All binned pixels are fit well with RMS errors of ≤0.005 in emissivity. Higher RMS errors are attributed to short wavelength particle size effects on dust-covered surfaces. Significant concentrations (>0.10) of plagioclase, high-Ca pyroxene, sheet silicates/high-Si glass, and hematite are detected and display distributions consistent with previous studies. Elevated concentrations of plagioclase and high-Ca pyroxene are consistent with basaltic surfaces and are located in low-albedo highlands regions north of ∼45°S. Significant concentrations of plagioclase and sheet silicates/high-Si glass and low concentrations of high-Ca pyroxenes are consistent with andesitic surfaces and are concentrated in both southern and northern high-latitude, low-albedo regions. Andesitic surfaces in the southern hemisphere have a lower spectral contrast than northern surfaces. An isolated surface located in Solis Planum is spectrally distinct but compositionally similar to other surfaces interpreted to be andesitic in composition. Concentrations of olivine below the detection limit correctly identify its presence in two of three locations. Potassium feldspar, low-Ca pyroxene, basaltic glass, olivine, sulfate, carbonate, quartz, and amphibole are not detected with confidence at 1 ppd. The results presented here indicate a predominance of volcanic compositions within Martian dust-free surfaces.

/pdf/global-mineral-distributions-on-mars-1fdrhsjyz5.pdf

Global mineral distributions on Mars

Thermal Emission Spectrometer data has been used to produce surface emissivity and mineral concentration global maps. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Janice L Thomson

Papers

The mid-infrared reflectance of mineral mixtures (7–14 μm)