Abstract
We are investigating change detection techniques to automatically detect mass movements at the steep north polar scarps of Mars, in order to improve our understanding of these dynamic processes. Here we focus on movements of blocks specifically. The precise detection of such small changes requires an accurate co-registration of the images, which is achieved by ortho-rectifying them using High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) Digital Terrain Models (DTMs). Moreover, we deal with the challenge of deriving the true shape of the moved blocks. In a next step, these results are combined with findings based on HiRISE DTMs from different points in time in order to estimate the volume of mass movements.
Highlights
Hundreds of individual mass movement events have been observed since 2006, when High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) started imaging in Mars orbit (McEwen et al, 2007)
In this study we focus on movements of blocks, which represent the most prominent result of rock fall processes occurring at the steep north polar scarps and are the most common evidence for mass movements in this area
In some cases they seem to have disintegrated into smaller pieces while moving downslope. Due to their small sizes blocks are only visible in HiRISE images. They originate at the steep margins of the north polar cap, where their point of origin is sometimes clearly visible either at the North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD) or at the Basal Unit (BU) (Russel et al, 2014)
Summary
Hundreds of individual mass movement events have been observed since 2006, when High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) started imaging in Mars orbit (McEwen et al, 2007). Some regions have been imaged with a frequency of up to 7 times per month. Blocks have been found to appear as well as disappear in specific places In some cases they seem to have disintegrated into smaller pieces while moving downslope. Due to their small sizes blocks are only visible in HiRISE images. They originate at the steep margins of the north polar cap, where their point of origin is sometimes clearly visible either at the North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD) or at the Basal Unit (BU) (Russel et al, 2014). In order to track and quantify these movements we are investigating suitable techniques for identifying new and disintegrated blocks in images taken at different times
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