Hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy of a Mars analogue environment at the North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia

Abstract

A visible and near infrared (VNIR) to shortwave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral dataset of the Early Archaean North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, has been analysed for indications of hydrothermal alteration. Occurrence maps of hydrothermal alteration minerals were produced. It was found that using a spatial resolution on the ground of approximately 5 m and spectral coverage from 0.4 to 2.5 mm was sufficient to delineate several hydrothermal alteration zones and associated veins, including phyllic, serpentinitic and chloritic alteration. These results suggest this level of spectral and spatial resolution would be ideal for localising shallow epithermal activity, should such activity have existed, on the surface of Mars.

References in corpus (1)

• SWIR Investigation of sites of astrobiological interest

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Hydrothermal formation of Clay-Carbonate alteration assemblages in the Nili Fossae region of Mars
• Spectral Curve Fitting for Automatic Hyperspectral Data Analysis
• Olivine-Carbonate Mineralogy of the Jezero Crater Region
• The MARTE VNIR Imaging Spectrometer Experiment: Design and Analysis
• Hydrothermal alteration at the Panorama Formation, North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia
• Circular Polarization and Coherent Backscattering