Shallow subsurface structure of the Utopia Planitia based on Zhurong rover penetrating radar data

YANG Jiaqi; SHAO Yun; BIAN Xiaolin; ZHANG Tingting; WANG Guojun

doi:10.7523/j.ucas.2023.030

Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences >

2025 , Vol. 42 >Issue 1: 116 - 125

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7523/j.ucas.2023.030

Research Articles

Shallow subsurface structure of the Utopia Planitia based on Zhurong rover penetrating radar data

YANG Jiaqi ,
SHAO Yun ,
BIAN Xiaolin ,
ZHANG Tingting ,
WANG Guojun

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1. Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China;
2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
3. Deqing Academy of Satellite Applications, Deqing 313200, Zhejiang, China

Received date: 2022-12-13

Revised date: 2023-04-04

Online published: 2023-04-04

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Abstract

Mars subsurface exploration is essential to obtain information on the historical evolution of Mars and to search for possible living environments on Mars. The rover penetrating radar (RoPeR) on board Zhurong, the rover of China’s first Mars exploration mission, is used to detect the subsurface structure of Utopia Planitia. In this paper, high-frequency channel data of RoPeR are selected to obtain the shallow subsurface information of Utopia Planitia. This study includes 1) subsurface structure modeling of the landing area and numerical simulation of shallow subsurface echo based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm; 2) processing the high-frequency channel data of RoPeR; 3) interpreting the shallow subsurface structure of Utopia Planitia. The study results validate the ability of RoPeR to detect shallow subsurface structure. There is a 10-20 cm duricrust at the surface of the Zhurong landing area. Under the duricrust are loose weathering material and randomly distributed gravels, which gradually transition to the middle Amazonian sedimentary sequence with increasing depth. There are strong echo signals in the radar image of Sol 101, which are presumed to be related to recent meteorite activity. The results of the study initially reveal the shallow subsurface structure of Utopia Planitia, which is a good reference for the situ probing and sampling experiments of the subsequent Mars exploration missions.

Key words： Zhurong rover; rover penetrating radar; Utopia Planitia; shallow subsurface structure

Cite this article

YANG Jiaqi , SHAO Yun , BIAN Xiaolin , ZHANG Tingting , WANG Guojun . Shallow subsurface structure of the Utopia Planitia based on Zhurong rover penetrating radar data[J]. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2025 , 42(1) : 116 -125 . DOI: 10.7523/j.ucas.2023.030

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