1. MAPPING MARS CRATER LANDING SITES & MODELLING CRATER DYNAMICS COMPUTERS IN GEOLOGY TERM PROJECT STEPHANIE SHAHRZAD NOVEMBER 7, 2015

2. OUTLINE Introduction Mapping Matlab Conclusion Further research

3. INTRODUCTION My project in two parts Map 2 proposed 2020 Mars Rover landing sites. Calculate different crater mechanics and distributions. Jezero and Gusev Different in size, same components Spirit Important for the scientific community to understand the different parameters included in deciding the landing site for a rover mission. Important to understand crater dynamics, and their effect on the surface of a planet Data from JMARS and Malin Space Science Systems

4. MAPPING LANDING SITE 1 – GUSEV CRATER 166 km in diameter Delta -> long period of water flow Spirit is stuck! Technology evaluation

5. MAPPING LANDING SITE 2 – JEZERO CRATER 45 kilometers in diameter Palaeo lake with drainage Clay minerals Mineralogy, geochemistry, astrobiology

6. COMPARISON Both show water, but Gusev also have Spirit! Mapping: Inertia Landing ellipses GUSEV JEZERO

7. MATLAB – CRATER PARAMETERS AND CORRELATIONS Diameter vs. density of bolide Diameter vs. denstity impacted object

8. Diameter vs. gravitational acceleration

9. MATLAB – CRATER DISTRIBUTIONS Latitude/longitude distribution Size vs. frequency distribution

10. SUMMARY & CONCLUSION Landing site Gusev! Craters Direct correlation between a craters size and the different parameters of the surface and impacting object. Southpole trend in latitude/longitude distribution a larger number of smaller craters than larger ones, >300 km in diameter.

11. FURTHER RESEARCH Which crater was the best choice? Rover! Mineralogy Crater size analysis -> using actual data The crater distribution -> benefit from using > ~ 90 craters I used.