A strategy for an accurate estimation of the basal permittivity in the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits

TL;DR

This paper presents a data processing strategy combining inversion and data selection to accurately estimate the basal permittivity of Martian North Polar Layered Deposits using radar data, overcoming parameter uncertainties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combined inversion and data selection approach for reliable electromagnetic property estimation of Martian subsurface structures.

Findings

Permittivity values consistent with Earth basaltic rocks were retrieved.

The strategy effectively mitigates uncertainties in parameters and data.

Deeper structures' properties can be reliably estimated with this method.

Abstract

The paper deals with the investigation of the Mars subsurface by means of data collected by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding working at few MHz frequencies. A data processing strategy, which combines a simple inversion model and an accurate procedure for data selection is presented. This strategy permits to mitigate the theoretical and practical difficulties of the inverse problem arising because of the inaccurate knowledge of the parameters regarding both the scenario under investigation and the radiated electromagnetic field impinging on the Mars surface. The results presented in this paper show that, it is possible to reliably retrieve the electromagnetic properties of deeper structures, if such strategy is accurately applied. An example is given here, where the analysis of the data collected on Gemina Lingula, a region of the North Polar layer deposits, allowed us to retrieve permittivity values for the basal unit in agreement with those usually associated to the Earth basaltic rocks.