ESA Science & Technology - Using PSUP: Viewing OMEGA data of Mars' surface emissivity

The Planetary SUrface Portal (PSUP) is an online tool for exploring the wealth of data about Mars collected in past decades.

Developed by experts at the observatories of Paris Sud (OSUPS) and Lyon (OSUL), PSUP has modules for filtering, processing, and downloading data (Mars System Information, or MarsSI), and for visualising these data in 3D–including global mineralogical maps, geomorphologic maps, and various other catalogues (Mars Visu).

This image shows a view of Mars as seen via Mars Visu. The coloured layer represents Mars' surface emissivity at a wavelength of 5µm: in other words, how efficiently any given part of the planetary surface is emitting infrared radiation (yellow-red being higher and blue-purple lower, as indicated by the key in the bottom right). The data comprising this layer are from OMEGA, the Near-Infrared Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer aboard Mars Express. Mostly obscured beneath this layer, only visible as a few slashes across the planet's face, is a background covering of Viking data provided by Mars Dataset.

Mars Visu has multiple collapsible dialogue boxes on the left of the screen, with options to select specific datasets, catalogues, background and mineral layers, adjust their opacity, and to display or hide features such as gridlines, atmosphere, and landing sites. It is possible to browse or navigate directly to the desired feature or location by entering either coordinates or names into the search box in the upper right.

PSUP can be accessed here.

Further details about PSUP, and about iMars webGIS–another tool to explore changes on the surface of Mars–can be found here.