Detection of Caves and Cave-bearing Geology on Mars

Overview: The objectives of the Earth-Mars Cave Detection Project is to identify regions on Mars likely to contain caves and/or cave-bearing geology through (1) the analysis of multispectral imagery from past and current orbital missions and other orbital assets (e.g., radar), and (2) the investigation of terrestrial analogs for the identification of associated thermal, and geosignatures. The project’s deliverables include (a) the localization and characterization of potential caves and pits on Mars and their classification; (b) for terrestrial analogs, the identification of geosignatures and texture images, Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS), and other signatures, and the classification of mineral suites to be expected under sets of conditions. The end product is a database of morphological, geological, mineralogical, signatures of significant astrobiological relevance for future mission searching for the past and present signatures of life on Mars and for human exploration.