Seismic response of the Mars Curiosity Rover: Implications for future planetary seismology

TL;DR

This study evaluates the effectiveness of deck-mounted seismic instruments on Mars landers, finding they can reliably record certain seismic signals, which could simplify future planetary seismology missions.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that deck-mounted seismic sensors can capture valuable seismic data, reducing deployment complexity for planetary missions.

Findings

Deck-mounted sensors record teleseismic earthquakes effectively.

Resonance frequencies affect ground motion recordings.

Airflow impacts seismic data during strong winds.

Abstract

Seismic measurements are an important tool for exploration of planetary interiors, but may not be included in missions due to perceived complexity in placement of sensitive instruments on the surface. To help address this concern, we assess the fidelity of recordings of ground motion by an instrument placed on the deck of the engineering model of the Mars Science Laboratory compared with an identical instrument placed on the ground directly beneath. Comparison of the recordings reveals clear recordings of teleseismic earthquakes on both instruments. The transfer function between the instruments demonstrates the deck instrument is affected by resonance frequencies of the lander, and does not faithfully record ground motion at these frequencies or higher. In addition, additional decoherence is observed near 1 Hz during periods of strong airflow due to air conditioning cycling. However, excellent coherence and a transfer function near 1 can be observed in the important seismic band between 2 and 30 seconds at all times and extending up to the lander resonances during the night time when air conditioning was not running. This suggests a deck-mounted seismic instrument may be able to provide valuable science return without requiring additional deployment complexity.