Development, importance, and effect of a ground truth correction for the Moon Mineralogy Mapper reflectance data set. Issue 3 (7th March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Isaacson, Peter J.; Petro, Noah E.; Pieters, Carle M.; Besse, Sebastien; Boardman, Joseph W.; Clark, Roger N.; Green, Robert O.; Lundeen, Sarah; Malaret, Erick; McLaughlin, Stephanie; Sunshine, Jessica M.; Taylor, Lawrence A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 118:Issue 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 369
• Page End: 381
• Publication Date: 2013-03-07
• Subjects: Moon -- M3 -- ground truth -- calibration -- absorption strength -- feldspathic highlands terrane; Planets -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 559.9
• DOI: 10.1002/jgre.20048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9097

Abstract

Abstract: [1] We evaluate the effect and importance of a ground truth correction for the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M 3 ) level 2 (reflectance) data set. This correction is derived from extensive laboratory characterizations of mature feldspathic lunar soils and is designed to improve the accuracy of 1 µm absorption features in M 3 reflectance data. To evaluate the correction, the band strength across a subset of the feldspathic highlands terrane (FHT) is analyzed with M 3 imaging spectroscopy data. Using M 3 reflectance data and derived products, we find significant differences in band strength and shape between M 3 observations collected over identical terrain but under different observational and operational conditions. The ground truth correction minimizes these differences in 1 µm band strengths and also brings the 1 µm band strengths measured with M 3 data into closer agreement with laboratory measurements of lunar soil samples. Although the FHT region studied was found to have very low band strengths, the M 3 ground truth correction results in overall stronger absorption features for all mature soils relative to uncorrected level 2 (reflectance) data for the same region. These differences between M 3 data collected under different operational conditions and the effects of the ground truth correction, while minor in appearance, can have significant implications for interpretations of any regional soil analyses with M 3 data that rely on absolute 1 µm absorption feature strength. The M 3 ground truth correction corrects only wavelengths below ~1500 nm, and comparisons between corrected and uncorrected wavelengths must be done with caution. Key Points: Absorption features of 1 µm in the FHT are analyzed with M3 data Variations in band strength under variable M3 operational conditions are found M3 ground truth correction is found to improve band strength accuracy