FINDING MAARS: EXPLORATION OF THE NORTHERN POLAR REGION OF MARS

The objective of our research is to find maars on Mars through exploration of the northern polar region. To do this, we use a program called JMARS. JMARS is the Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing tool, and uses a geospatial information system to look at satellite images of the Martian surface. Images used in this study include visible Context Camera (CTX) images that have spatial resolutions as high as 6 m/pixel. CTX data can be used to view various locations on the surface of Mars to identify and analyze features of interest and take note of any visible surface features larger than 12 meters, or 2 pixels. By doing so we are able to further study features to see if they are what we are looking for: a maar. A maar is a broad, shallow crater, typically surrounded by tephra, or fragments of rock together with volcanic ash that is formed through hydrovolcanic explosions that occur when magma comes in contact with water. On Earth, many maars are filled by a lake. These irregular craters differ from impacts craters in their shape. We will attempt to identify maars based mainly on shape, in the aspect of their elongation, and low slope angles. Currently, we are searching in the northern region of Mars, between the longitudes of 69-81 degrees and across the latitudes of 197-330 degrees. It is thought that a maar may be easier to identify in this region, as it is known to have had extensive volcanic activity in the past, and the proximity of polar ice caps and other surficial features indicate that water may have been present in the shallow subsurface. If so, a maar will be easier to locate in this region than in other parts of Mars. This research is crucial to further understanding of the geological processes that occur beneath and on the surface of Mars. By finding a maar, we are able to tell what type of activity is taking place, or what might have taken place at some point in Mars geologic time scale. Even a lack of definitive maars will still provide us with information concerning this regions geologic and climatic history.