One GIS-based data structure and visualization for 15 map Sheets: Geological Mapping of Ceres

Kurzfassung

One aim of the NASA Dawn mission is to generate global geologic maps of the asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. To accomplish this, the Dawn Science Team followed the technical recommendations for cartographic base map production. The geological mapping campaign of Vesta was completed and published, but mapping of the dwarf planet Ceres is still ongoing. The tiling schema for the geological mapping is the same for both planetary bodies and for Ceres it is divided into two parts: four overview quadrangles (Survey Orbit, 415 m/pixel) and 15 more detailed quadrangles (High Altitude Mapping HAMO, 140 m/pixel). The most detailed view can be expected within the 15 mapping quadrangles based on HAMO resolution and completed by the Low Altitude Mapping (LAMO) data with 35 m/pixel. For the interpretative mapping process of each quadrangle one responsible mapper was assigned. Unifying the geological mapping of each quadrangle and bringing this together to regional and global valid statements is already a very time intensive task. However, another challenge that has to be accomplished is to consider how the 15 individual mappers can generate one homogenous GISbased project (w.r.t. geometrical and visual character) thus produce a geologically-consistent final map. Therefore, the computer-based GIS environment used for the interpretative mapping process must be designed in a way that it can be adjusted to the unique features of the individual investigation areas. Within this contribution a template will be presented that uses standards for digitizing, visualization, data merging, and synchronization and adopted these to the individual requirements on the multiuser mapping project of Ceres. Using this template the map results are more comparable and better controllable. Furthermore, merging and synchronization of the individual maps, map projects and sheets will be far more efficient. Beside the specific use case Ceres, the template can be easily adapted to any other planetary body and or within future discovery missions (e.g., Lucy and Psyche which were selected to explore the early solar system by NASA) for generating reusable map results.