Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer Mini-TES
                                     DERIVED DATA SET UNDER CONSTRUCTION





The Mini-TES is a Fourier Transform Spectrometer covering the spectral range 5-29μm (339.50 to 1997.06 cm-1) with a spectral sample interval of 9.99 cm-1. The instrument is located at the bottom of the rover's mast, and scanning mirrors reflect light down to it: thus, it sees the terrain or sky from the same vantage point as PanCam.

Atmospheric observations

Temperature Profiles - Mini-TES has been pointed upward to 30 deg. above the horizon. Using temperatures retrieved from the wings of the 15-μm CO2 band, this upward-viewing mode yields high-resolution temperature profiles through the bottom few km of the atmosphere. This lowest region of the atmosphere has been difficult to measure on Mars because of the nature of the weighting functions as seen from orbit, and because of the difficulty of determining surface contributions to radiance.

Water abundance - Water vapor abundance was obtained from rotational H2O lines. Separate measurements of water near the ground were obtained by viewing distant surface obstacles. The broad water-ice feature centered near 800 cm^-1 allowed monitoring of ground ice hazes. Together, these measurements will illuminate the behavior of water in lower atmosphere and of water transport between the atmosphere and surface.

Atmospheric dust abundance was obtained using the redundant temperature information in both sides of the 15 mm CO2 band, together with differential absorption across the dust band in that region.

Useful Mission Documents


The Data Description - TBD

Retrieving the Data Volume - TBD

Derived Data - TBD

Raw Data - TBD

Citing Data Sets for Publication
CITATION_DESC = Christensen, P, MER 2 Mars Mini-TES BTR V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, MER2-M-MTES-4-BTR-V1.0, 2004.

Derived Data CITATION_DESC = TBD