Authors
MP Golombek, A Huertas, J Marlow, B McGrane, C Klein, M Martinez, RE Arvidson, T Heet, L Barry, K Seelos, D Adams, W Li, JR Matijevic, T Parker, HG Sizemore, M Mellon, AS McEwen, LK Tamppari, Y Cheng
Publication date
2008/3
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Volume
113
Issue
E3
Description
The size‐frequency distributions of rocks >1.5 m diameter fully resolvable in High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images of the northern plains follow exponential models developed from lander measurements of smaller rocks and are continuous with rock distributions measured at the landing sites. Dark pixels at the resolution limit of Mars Orbiter Camera thought to be boulders are shown to be mostly dark shadows of clustered smaller rocks in HiRISE images. An automated rock detector algorithm that fits ellipses to shadows and cylinders to the rocks, accurately measured (within 1–2 pixels) rock diameter and height (by comparison to spacecraft of known size) of ∼10 million rocks over >1500 km2 of the northern plains. Rock distributions in these counts parallel models for cumulative fractional area covered by 30–90% rocks in dense rock fields around craters, 10–30% rock coverage in less …
Total citations
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202443377751104551089104
Scholar articles