The Prospectivity of Mid-Latitude Buried Ice Deposits on Mars for - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

School of Mining Engineering

“The Prospectivity of Mid-Latitude Buried Ice Deposits on Mars for Future Human Missions”

Sophia C. Casanova 3rd Off-Earth Mining Forum

Sept 21st, 2017

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Water Resources on Mars

Background colors represent topography from MOLA.

SR-SAG2 May 1, 2014

Mid-latitude Buried Ice Deposits

CCF CCF Concentric Crater Fill (CCF) Glacier Like Feature (GLF) GLF GLF LDA LDA LVF GLF LDA LDA LVF GLF

Under appropriate physical and geological conditions, these features could mark the presence of significant ice reservoirs outside the polar regions Landforms suggesting the presence of ice in the recent past

Lobate Debris Aprons (LDA) Lineated Valley Fill (LVF)

Martian Dichotomy Boundary

Layered Ejecta Craters

Layered Ejecta Craters Double Layer Ejecta Blanket Single Layer Ejecta Blanket Crater Rim

Presence of ejecta blankets surrounding craters suggest ice was present at the surface or within the shallow subsurface at the time of impact

CCF

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Example of a Layered Ejecta Crater – Protonilus Mensae

Mid-Latitude Buried Ice Deposits

Ice Free Terrain Ice Free Terrain - Mesa Lobate Debris Aprons – Upper Unit Lobate Debris Aprons – Lower Unit Glacier Like Feature

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Glacier Like Feature – Flow Lines (HiRISE - 25cm/pixel) Terrestrial Analogue - Debris Covered Glacier – Talkeetna Mountains – Alaska (USGS) Geomorphic Map of study region with the Protonilus Mensae

Exploration Processes and Techniques

Exploration Exploration Feasibility Studies Feasibility Studies Mine Planning and Construction Mine Planning and Construction Mine Development and Operation Mine Development and Operation End of life / Mine Closure End of life / Mine Closure Identify New Exploration Targets

The Typical Mining Life Cycle Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

(NASA/JPL)

MSL Curiosity Rover

(NASA/JPL)

• Define resource requirements, deposit type and select exploration zone
• Develop a geological model of deposits (incorporating geomorphic, topographical

structural, mineralogical & geophysical data) - Interpret controls on development and preservation

• Define resource regions of interest (RROI) – Exploration Targets / prospects for In-situ

study by a robotic rover.

Parameters to consider:

• Water content
• Englaical rock properties
• Ice thickness
• Size and shape of deposit
• Areal extent
• Continuity and spatial variation

Exploration Target and Resource Estimation Process

Debris Covered Glacier Interior Schematic Debris Covered Glacier Arial View (CTX)

Additional evaluation requirements will depend on selected mining method

Engineering Constraints:

• Presence of appropriate landing sites
• Distance from landing, MAV & crew habitation site to RROI
• Slope and roughness of terrain (trafficability)
• Depth to ice (thickness of supraglacial debris)
• Supraglacial & englacial debris properties

Other Considerations:

• Scientific regions of interest
• Planetary protection
• Market and economic factors

Engineering Constraints & Mine Planning:

Example of a proposed Human Mission Exploration Zone - Deuteronilus Mensae (Plaut et. al. 2015)

Summary

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• Large water ice deposits are likely preserved

under a layer of debris in the mid-latitude regions of Mars – represent a potential site for future human operations

• Requirement to develop detailed geological

models to evaluate exploration targets / prospects utilising orbital datasets

• Resource estimation will require in-situ

evaluation

• Specific data requirements for resource

estimates and feasibility studies will be dependant upon mining method.

The Protonilus Mensae