Determining the Source Locations of Martian Meteorites: Non-Linear Unmixing Models in the VNIR

Exploration of Mars lies at the heart of the attempt to understand how planetary systems evolve and whether life is unique to Earth. These issues together form one of the four big Science Challenges identified in the STFC Science Roadmap. At present, martian meteorites represent the only samples of Mars available for study in terrestrial laboratories. In addition to their crystallization and surface ejection ages, these samples provide a detailed understanding of the geochemistry of the martian crust. However, these meteorites have never been geochemically tied to source locations on Mars, meaning that the fundamental geological context is missing. This lack of context means that the information gleaned from martian meteorites cannot be used with confidence in studies of the geological, and astrobiological, evolution of Mars.

The overall goal of this project is to link the detailed geochemical analyses of martian meteorites to the geological evolution of Mars by providing the sample context. We will achieve this goal by (1) deriving new methods of determining mineral abundances in visible and near-infrared (VNIR) orbital data through non-linear mixing methods and ground truth data, before (2) applying these new methods, with knowledge of the composition of martian meteorites, to hyperspectral data of the surface of Mars to determine the source locations of the meteorites.

The beneficiaries of the research include:
1. Scientists and engineers, both in academia and industry, involved in the design and operation of future missions to Mars, by providing key geochemical information.

2. Earth scientists interested in applying their expertise to other planets, thereby enabling advanced comparative planetology, by providing the capability to utilise planetary data in their own research.

3. Government advisors and public sector professionals involved in UK space science policy, by contributing to the scientific case for space exploration and identifying future priorities.

4. Museums, teachers, school children and the general public interested in space exploration, particularly the search for life, by creating excitement about the research and describing how the results fit into the bigger picture.

Methods to make the results available to beneficiaries include:
1. Distribution through usual academic routes including publications in scientific journals, online publications, conference presentations and discussion meetings.

2. The contribution to data workshops aimed at increasing the use of planetary data, including those from in situ missions such as Mars Science Laboratory, and providing important data for distribution through the Planetary Data System.

3. An ongoing program of public talks, visits and tours of the facilities, and general engagement with different media outlets to highlight the research.

4. An open source policy, whereby all data, software and techniques are shared through both formal (Planetary Data System) and informal (project website and data repository) platforms.