Highlights

• Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data from Rover Penetrating Radar (RoPeR) reveals Mars’ subsurface composition, density, and water/ice content. The new method accurately calculates surface layer dielectric constants.
• The proposed method uses the hyperbola approach for better accuracy. It extracts dielectric constants from radar signals and improves upon previous models with a more precise geometric approach.
• This approach has less than 5% error for up to 9 meters depth. It also shows the landing’s impact on Mars, notably reducing surface material’s dielectric constant and density due to the lander’s jet plume.

Summary

In the Tianwen-1 mission’s successful Mars landing, the Zhurong rover was deployed equipped with ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Zhurong has been instrumental in uncovering details about the Martian subsurface, a key area of interest for scientists. Renrui Liu and his research team made notable progress utilizing this GPR technology. Their primary goal was to analyze the composition, density, and potential presence of water or ice beneath Mars’ surface. To achieve this, they developed a new method for interpreting GPR data. This method centered on assessing the dielectric constant distribution, an essential factor in understanding the characteristics of Martian subsurface materials.

The team’s approach proved highly accurate, demonstrating less than 5% error for depths up to 9 meters. This significant precision offers a clearer and more detailed picture of the Martian subsurface compared to previous methods. Such accuracy in data interpretation is crucial for enhancing our understanding of Mars.

The GPR data also provided insights into the physical impact of the rover’s landing on Mars. It indicated that the surface materials near the landing site experienced disturbance, possibly including erosion caused by the lander’s jet plume. Understanding these effects is vital for scientists to grasp how external forces impact the Martian environment.

In their research, Liu’s team gathered data and addressed the limitations of previous methodologies in similar studies. They focused on minimizing measurement errors and further validated their findings through gprMax simulations. This comprehensive approach added significant credibility to their results.

The study’s outcomes are pivotal for several reasons. They shed light on Mars’s geological history and formation, contributing to our understanding of its past climate and environmental conditions. Moreover, the insights gained regarding the Martian subsurface are critical for planning future missions, including those aimed at resource exploration or potential settlement construction.

R. Liu, Y. Xu, R. Chen, J. Zhao, and X. Xu, “An Improved Hyperbolic Method and Its Application to Property Inversion in Martian Tianwen-1 GPR Data,” IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, vol. 61, pp. 1–14, 2023, doi: .