Mars MSL Gale Merged DEM 1m v3
This digital elevation model (DEM) was initially created as an assessment tool for the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) analysis conducted by the Mars Science Laborarory (MSL) engineering team to assess Gale crater as a safe landing site for the rover. The DEM is built up from High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX), and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) DEMs all tied to a Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) DEM. Georeferencing was manually done from CTX to HRSC, then HiRISE to CTX or overlapping pre-georefererenced HiRISE. Pixel resolution is one meter per pixel (m).
DEMS were created using the following HiRISE stereo pairs (USGS processing designations/names in quotes):
ESP_024234_1755, ESP_024300_1755 'West Gap'; PSP_009650_1755, PSP_009716_1755, 'West'; PSP_010573_1755, PSP_010639_1755, 'Center'; PSP_009505_1755, PSP_009571_1755, 'G2' (Landed in this stereo pair.); ESP_011417_1755, ESP_011562_1755, 'East'; ESP_018854_1755, ESP_018920_1755, 'West of Center'; ESP_023957_1755, ESP_024023_1755, 'Center Gap'; ESP_024102_1755, ESP_025368_1755, 'East Gap'; PSP_009149_1755, PSP_009294_1755, 'Traverse'; ESP_012551_1755, ESP_012841_1755, 'T2'; PSP_001488_1755, PSP_001752_1755, 'T1'; ESP_019698_1755, ESP_019988_1755, 'T3'
Reference:
Kirk, R.L., et al. and the HiRISE Team (2008). Ultrahigh resolution topographic mapping of Mars with MRO HiRISE stereo images: Meter-scale slopes of candidate Phoenix landing sites: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 113, E00A24. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JE003000
Recommended Citation:
Parker, T. and Calef III, F.J., 2016, MSL Gale Merged Digital Elevation Model, Publisher: PDS Annex, U.S. Geological Survey. http://bit.ly/MSL_DEM
- Publisher
- MSL Team
- Publication Date
- 20 October 2016
- Author
- Timothy Parker and Fred J. Calef III
- Originator
- JPL-Caltech, NASA, USGS Astrogeology Science Center, University of Arizona
- Group
- PDS
- Added to Astropedia
- 25 October 2016
- Modified
- 12 August 2019
General
- Purpose
This DEM facilitates science and engineering operations conducted by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), aka Curiosity rover, on Mars.
- Geospatial Data Presentation Form
- Digital Elevation Model, Grey Scale, Remote-sensing Data, Topographic Map, Landing Site Map
- MSL
- Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
- MSL_Gale_DEM_Mosaic_1m
- version 3
- Online Linkage
- http://planetarymaps.usgs.gov/mosaic/Mars/MSL/MSL_Gale_DEM_Mosaic_1m_v3.tif
- Native Data Set Environment
- GDAL, ESRI Arcinfo
- Color
- Black and White
- Supplemental Information
- http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/, http://hrscview.fu-berlin.de/, http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/mission/instruments/ctx/, http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/
Keywords
- System
- Mars
- Target
- Mars
- Theme
- Photogrammetry, Image Processing, Landing sites, Remote Sensing, Topography
- Mission
- Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Mission Specific
- merge of HRSC, CTX, HiRISE stereo
- Instrument
- HRSC, CTX, HiRISE
- Search Terms
- MSL, DEM, DTM, HRSC, CTX, HiRISE, Landing Site Map, Gale, Curiosity
Contact and Distribution
- Access Constraints
- Please credit authors
- Use Constraints
- None
Data Status and Quality
- Progress
- In Work
- Update Frequency
- As needed
- Logical Consistency Report
- HRSC is controlled to MOLA and thus only as accurate as MOLA (~100m horizontal and ~1 m vertical accuracy).
- Completeness Report
Where HiRISE stereo-coverage is lacking either CTX DEMs, HRSC DEMs and then lastly the MOLA 128ppd DEM was used. Elevation minimum = -4625.875, max=-322.56, std dev=984.73
- Process Date
- 1 January 2011
- Process Description
Georeferencing was manually done from CTX to HRSC (already registered to MOLA), then HiRISE to CTX.
- Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value
- 100
- Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report
- Accurate to Control Net
- Vertical Positional Accuracy Value
- 1
- Vertical Positional Accuracy Report
- Accurate to Control Net
- Entity and Attribute Overview
- This is a 32bit floating point DEM. A science mapping application will need to be used to visualize (e.g. a GIS like QGIS, Tuiview, ArcMap, ENVI, Global Mapper, etc.).
- Entity and Attribute Detailed Description
- Mars Global Surveyor: MOLA MEGDRs
- Entity and Attribute Linkage
- http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mgs/megdr.html
Lineage
- PDS Status
- PDS 4 Like
- Source PDS Archive
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Source Originator
- Planetary Data System and HRSC Archives
- Source Title
- MRO HiRISE and CTX and Mars Express HRSC Archives
- Source Online Linkage
- http://hrscview.fu-berlin.de/ , https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/volumes/mro.html , https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express/The_mission , https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/portal/mro_mission.html
- Type of Source Media
- Online
Geospatial Information
- Feature Name
- Gale crater
- Minimum Latitude
- -5.098652
- Maximum Latitude
- -4.129605
- Minimum Longitude
- 137.124167
- Maximum Longitude
- 137.680559
- Direct Spatial Reference Method
- Raster
- Object Type
- Pixel
- Lines (pixels)
- 57440
- Samples (pixels)
- 32980
- Bit Type
- 32
- Quad System
- Mars 1:2M
- Quad Name
- Radius A
- 3396190
- Radius C
- 3396190
- Control Net
- MOLA
- Bands
- 1
- Pixel Resolution (meters/pixel)
- 1
- Altitude Resolution
- 1
- Horizontal Coordinate System Units
- Meters
- Map Projection Name
- Equirectangular
- Latitude Type
- Planetocentric
- Longitude Direction
- Positive East
- Longitude Domain
- -180 to 180
