U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

icon-dot-gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

icon-https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Spatial Extent of Data

USGS Data Source

Place Keywords

Mars Dune Digital Database Merged

The Mars Global Digital Dune Database provides a comprehensive and quantitative view of the geographic distribution of dune fields from 65° N to 65° S latitude. The database encompasses ~ 550 dune fields, covering ~ 70,000 km2, with an estimated total volume between 3,600 km3 and 13,400 km3. Over 2300 selected Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared (IR), THEMIS visible (VIS) and Mars Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle (MOC NA) images were used to build the database and are included in the ArcMap and ArcReader versions of the database. An initial data set of THEMIS band 9 spectral range images covering orbits 816-9601 (spanning 02/2002 - 02/2004 and Ls = 0.085º-358.531º) and comprising more than 30,000 images was chosen as the basis for the construction of the database. This provided ~98% nighttime and ~75% daytime areal coverage of Mars planet-wide. Images containing dunes were identified using THV (Interactive THEMIS IR Viewer written in Research Systems Incorporated's (RSI) IDL® software at the USGS in Flagstaff (www.mars-ice.org)). The 100 m/pixel resolution THEMIS IR images were used to locate potential dune features. The higher resolution THEMIS VIS and MOC NA images were used to assign Earth-based dune classifications (McKee, 1979). Where image quality allowed, slipface measurements based on gross dune morphology were digitized to represent primary wind direction responsible for that morphology. Azimuth values were calculated, from crater centroid to dune centroid, for dune fields located within craters. These indicators of wind direction can be compared to the included NASA/Ames Mars general circulation model (GCM) output (Harberle et al., 1999).

Get Data and Metadata
Author(s) Marc A Hunter orcid, Amber L Gullikson orcid, Timothy N Titus orcid
Publication Date 2021-08-30
Beginning Date of Data Unknown
Ending Date of Data Unknown
Data Contact
DOI https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ORPZKL
Citation Hunter, M.A., Gullikson, A.L., and Titus, T.N., 2021, Mars Dune Digital Database Merged: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ORPZKL.
Metadata Contact
Metadata Date 2021-08-30
Related Publication
Citations of these data No citations of these data are known at this time.
Access public
License http://www.usa.gov/publicdomain/label/1.0/
Loading...
Harvest Source: ScienceBase
Harvest Date: 2021-11-19T04:42:53.907Z