Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Martin, P. Articles by Stofan, E. R. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Planetary science: Multiple data sets, multiple scales, and unlocking the third dimension

¹ Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
² Proxeny Research, 20528 Farcroft Lane, Laytonsville, Maryland 20882, USA

Observations of the planets in our solar system cover a wide range of scales and are undertaken using a variety of techniques and platforms, resulting in extremely rich data sets. This review paper provides a basic introduction to the available range of planetary science data sets, and the combination of these data sets over a range of scales, resolutions, and techniques to address geological problems. The wealth of data available and the use of a selected combination of data sets to address geological problems are best illustrated by taking a closer look at the planet Mars. As a result of the increasing precision of spacecraft sensors, we now have data sets that cover the whole planet at spatial resolutions ranging from kilometers down to meters (e.g., Mars Global Surveyor) and multiple wavelengths (e.g., Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter), which have been collected over several years. This global coverage is complemented by surface missions that provide localized data sets down to microscopic resolutions (Mars Exploration Rovers). Thus, it is now possible to study geological features and processes quantitatively over an impressive range of scales. The combination of new data sets from current and future missions to Mars (e.g., Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) will facilitate attempts to unlock the third dimension of Martian geology. The experience gained at Mars will help us to plan and exploit the 3-D exploration of other planets in the future.

Keywords: planetary • Mars • surface • subsurface