Investigation of the relationship between Remote Sensing and Ground Observations in the detection of hematite minerals in Vera Rubin Ridge, Mars

The sensors on landers and rovers on Mars enable the performance of highly sensitive analyses in a limited area. However, orbiting satellites can observe the entire surface of Mars, albeit with coarser results than those obtained by landers and rovers. The objective of the study was to calibrate the distribution of hematite (Fe₂O₃) minerals derived from satellite data using ground observations, thereby producing more sensitive data across a larger area of the Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR) region. This topographic elevation extends from the northeast to the southwest in the northwest region of the Gale Crater. In the study, a model was established between the CRISM instrument data on the MRO satellite and the Mastcam sensor data on the Curiosity rover to determine the corrections that should be applied to the satellite data. The BD860_2 parameter, which identifies the hematite mineral, was adjusted to ModBD860_2 by employing the model's regression coefficients, which exhibited a Pearson correlation coefficient (r)of 66% and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.1%. By applying the ModBD860_2 indice to the CRISM data,it was concluded that areas where the BD860_2 indice did not detect the presence of hematite could also bepotential exploration areas.