Multiple emission angle surface–atmosphere separations of thermal emission spectrometer data

A method for separating the spectral signatures of the Martian surface and atmosphere was developed and is applied to multiple emission angle data returned from the MGS TES instrument. This method includes correlated-k and index gas removal algorithms that may be applied to all nadir-pointing TES data. Initial results have provided new and refined measurements of the spectral shapes of atmospheric dust and the Martian surface. Surface temperatures and atmospheric dust opacities are also retrieved with improved accuracy over single observation temperature and opacity retrievals. Low-albedo surfaces display absorptions consistent in both shape and depth with previous studies. These surfaces may be closely modeled using a combination of previously derived basalt, andesitic, and high-albedo surface spectral shapes. Short wavelengths display no significant absorptions, indicating both the coarse particulate nature of the surface and the lack of significant amounts of carbonate. Moderate- and high-albedo surfaces have spectral shapes distinctive of fine particulate silicate materials. No single material can match the entire high-albedo surface spectrum, though there are clear indications of a material that closely matches intermediate to calcic plagioclase and an emission peak at ∼1620 cm−1 due to bound water. The lack of residual restrahlen silicate absorptions indicates that minerals such as olivine or pyroxene are not present in high-albedo surfaces at significant (but unknown) abundances. High-albedo surface results presented here are in agreement with and complementary to shorter wavelength observations. The Martian dust is composed of both primary and secondary minerals. Either chemical weathering has not completely altered its source material or the soil is a mixture of altered and unaltered sources. Further laboratory studies are needed to better establish detection limits and behavior of mineral mixtures of fine particulates in the thermal infrared portion of the spectrum.