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Talks and Poster Presentations (with Proceedings-Entry):

P. Dorninger, M. Attwenger, G. Neukum et al.:
"Hydrological Analysis of the Mars Topography";
Poster: 1st Mars Express Science Conference, Noordwijk; 2005-02-21 - 2005-02-25; in: "Abstract Book", (2005), 141.



English abstract:
Ever since the surface of Mars is investigated in detail, scientists have been discussing if liquid surface water was involved in the surface forming process in former times. Many scientific investigations aim at interpreting albedo features from high-resolution image data (e.g. MOC, HRSC). The following approach is based on geometric analysis of the Mars topography.

The raster-based analysis methods used are implemented as systolic processes. The conditions of the cells in a rectangular grid array, i.e. a digital terrain model (DTM) representing the topography, are derived synchronously by taking only their neighbors into consideration. The visualization of the results is prepared by means of special filtering operations.

Especially hydrological analysis seems to have a high potential to support the derivation of models which can be applied to reconstruct the behavior of possible former surface water on Mars in a plausible manner. Results of the analysis of three selected regions on Mars, which are very likely to have been formed by surface water, are discussed in detail:

- simulated outflow behavior in MaŽadim Vallis and Gusev Crater;
- outflow channel detection in the Elysium Region;
- hydrological mapping of the Tharsis Highlands and Valles Marineris.

For further scientific investigation and interpretation it might be helpful to visualize the results of the hydrological analysis. Thus, several methods for 3D visualization of DTMs and corresponding raster image overlays are presented, as well. E.g. a hydrological map comprising the rivers and lakes derived from the topographical model is representing a visualization of surface-water behavior on an impermeable surface during permanent, homogeneous rainfall.

Most results have been derived from MOLA data. Currently, these results are verified using HRSC images. It is also planned to apply the same methods to DTMs derived from HRSC data by area-based matching methods.

Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.