Geospatial Interpretation of MARSIS Data: A GIS Approach to Martian Subsurface Analysis

Abstract

Subsurface water on Mars is key to understanding its geological evolution, climate history, and potential habitability. This study examines 1.5 billion radar signals from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), a low-frequency radar sounder aboard the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter, focusing on the strongest 5% of signals to detect subsurface structures. All 1.5 billion points were evaluated using clustering and statistical methods to detect large subsurface structures up to five kilometers deep, with more than 424 million points forming significant clusters. Using advanced signal processing (e.g., clutter suppression, noise filtering) and geospatial analyses (e.g., spatial clustering, autocorrelation, hotspot analysis, and cross-partition connectivity), the study identifies significant subsurface structures. The findings are validated by NASA’s Shallow Radar (SHARAD) data confirming known shallow ice deposits in mid-latitude regions like Utopia Planitia. Integrated into a GIS framework, these visualizations advance planetary science, astrobiology, astrogeology, and Mars exploration by enabling in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and informing landing site selection. This study pioneers a GIS-based approach to globally map Martian subsurface water, integrating MARSIS and SHARAD data.