The Multi-Temporal Database of Planetary Image Data (MUTED): A web-based tool for studying dynamic Mars

Abstract

Multi-temporal spacecraft observations are key to detect and understand surface changes and time-critical processes on Mars. Since the 1970s, the number of orbital observations of Mars has increased to over one million images. The observations have revealed that the surface of Mars is changing due to exogenic processes, including eolian activity, mass movement, seasonal ice and frost cover, and crater-forming impacts. The increasing number of observations highlights the importance of efficient and convenient tools for planetary image data management and change detection analyses. To support the identification of surface changes we developed the Multi-Temporal Database of Planetary Image Data (MUTED), which is accessible at “http://muted.wwu.de”. The database enables scientists to quickly identify the spatial and multi-temporal coverage of planetary image data from Mars. As a basis for various change detection analyses, the location, number, and time range of acquisitions of overlapping images taken by the Viking Orbiter (VO), the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), the Thermal Emission Imaging Instrument (THEMIS), the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer of Mars (CRISM) and the Context Camera (CTX) as well as future instruments (e.g., Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS)) can be identified. The database will assist and optimize image data searches to support the analysis and understanding of short-term, seasonal, and long-term processes at the surface and in the atmosphere of Mars. To demonstrate the capability and scientific potential of the database, we analyzed the occurrence of dark slope streaks and observed their formation within a time interval of <∼5 days in different regions on Mars.