Investigating ancient sediment fans on Mars

Funder	Science and Technology Facilities Council
Recipient Organization	Imperial College London
Country	United Kingdom
Start Date	Sep 30, 2021
End Date	Mar 30, 2025
Duration	1,277 days
Number of Grantees	2
Roles	Student; Supervisor
Data Source	UKRI Gateway to Research
Grant ID	`2612943`

Grant Description

Ancient deltas on Mars are important exploration targets in the assessment for habitability and search for ancient life on Mars. However, distinguishing between deltas and alluvial fans is not easy based on orbital imagery. This project will investigate criteria for identifying different types of sediment fan.

The project will investigate the sediment fan in Oxia Planum, the landing site of the European Space Agency's rover in 2023. The sediment fan will be mapped using the complete High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images and derived DEM coverage of the fan at 25 cm per pixel, supplemented with images from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSiS) and the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instruments.

The geological map will be used to reconstruct the evolution of the sediment fan and determine its origin. The Oxia sediment fan will be compared to other examples of sediment fans on Mars.

This PhD project will also focus on the Cursioity rover mission at Gale crater, where potential sediment fans will be explored using data from the rover and compared to previous interpretations from orbital data.