Riccardo Pozzobon

University of Padova | UNIPD · Department of Geosciences

Lunar floor‐fractured craters are characterized by the occurrence of radial and concentric grabens, and while their formation mechanism was broadly studied in literature, the relationships between displacement and length of the faults, together with the fault growth, were never examined. We produced a semiautomated Python‐based script able to analy...

The evolution of the Ladon basin has been marked by intense geological activity and the discharge of huge volumes of water from the Martian highlands to the lowlands in the late Noachian and Hesperian. We explore the potential of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter/Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System color image data set for geological interpretation...

Thematic map creation is a meticulous process that requires several steps to be accomplished regardless of the type of map to be produced, from data collection, through data exploitation and map publication in print, image, and GIS format. Examples are geolithological, and geomorphological maps in which most of the highest time‐consuming tasks are...

Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we provide the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database developed by the European Space Agency: a catalog of petrographic and spectroscopic information on all currently known...

We provide the first solar system wide compendium of speleogenic processes and products. An examination of 15 solar system bodies revealed that six cave‐forming processes occur beyond Earth including volcanic (cryo and magmatic), fracturing (tectonic and impact melt), dissolution, sublimation, suffusion, and landslides. Although no caves (i.e., con...

Widespread brittle deformation characterizes the surface of Ganymede. In dark terrain regions, tectonic-related structures occur and represent linear to curvilinear kilometer-scale troughs. Such structures are called furrows and are pivotal to understand the early history of the satellite, the tectonics that affected the dark terrain, and the trans...

Galileo Regio is a dark terrain of Ganymede extending approximately from 180°-120° W to 0°-60° N that shows high crater density and morphotectonic structures called furrows. Such structures are kilometric-scale brittle troughs bounded by high albedo rims and a low albedo floor, and arranged with circumferential and radial setting at the regional sc...

The METERON project (Multipurpose End-To-End Robotics Operations Network) was implemented by the European Space Agency as an initiative to prepare Europe for future humanrobotic exploration scenarios that in particular, focused on examination of the human-robotic partnership, and how this partnership could be optimized through an evaluation of the...

In this study, the recession rate of eleven carbonate stones widely used in the cultural heritage of northeastern Italy and differing in their textural features and mineralogical composition was investigated. Samples of stones known as Vicenza (Nanto and Costozza varieties), Carrara marble, Verona (Red and Brown varieties), Asiago, Istria (Orsera v...

Growing interest in studying large terrestrial lava tubes is motivated in part by their analogy with their extra‐terrestrial counterparts. However, on Earth, the formation of such structures is still poorly understood. Here, the lava tube system of La Corona (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain) is studied to identify how pre‐existing stratigraphy can...

We show how a GIS‐based approach on 3D morphologies can be used to analyze volume variations from the microscopic scale on rock samples to large collapse pits on Earth and Mars. The microscale analyses were performed on scans acquired by a confocal laser scanning microscope from carbonate rock plates dissolved by immersion in slightly acidic soluti...

A multidisciplinary study of an ancient area of Mars (Early to Late Noachian) located in Arabia Terra is presented, centred at 6°1′N, 354°54′ E and including the 55 km size Vernal crater. By means of different spatial scale imagery datasets and digital terrain models (MOLA, THEMIS, HRSC, CTX, CaSSIS and HiRISE), we prepare a high-resolution geologi...

The European Space Agency’s ANALOG-1 experiment is the culmination of 12 distinct METERON experiments carried out since 2011. These all address aspects of teleoperating a robotic asset from an orbital platform, i.e., technical implementation, user interfaces, autonomy and operations. The ANALOG-1 technology demonstration and operations concept expe...

Caves are one of the last frontiers of human exploration on Earth. They are very relevant scientific targets as they host significant biodiversity and unique geologic formations. The presence of underground passages accessible for human or robotic exploration are revealed by localized collapse of the near-surface ceiling of a cave system (skylight)...

Nel 2016 l’ESA – Agenzia Spaziale Europea ha avviato il programma PANGAEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts) dedicato alla formazione degli astronauti nel campo della geologia planetaria. Il corso permette agli astronauti e ad altri attori delle future esplorazioni spaziali di studiare diversi siti europei c...

Noctis Labyrintus consists of a large network of rift systems and scalloped troughs, whose formation remains debated until nowadays. In the following study, we are analyzing the spatial correlation between faults, grabens and pit-chains to retrieve the sequence of events responsible for the formation of such a complex area, using Digital Elevation...

Tsiolkovskiy is a ~200 km diameter crater presenting one of the few mare deposits of the lunar far side. In this work, we perform a geological study of the crater by means of morpho-stratigraphic and color-based spectral mappings, and a detailed crater counting age determination. The work aims at characterizing the surface morphology and compositio...

A tightly integrated spherical robotic device • Protecting sensors and scientific equipment in rough, uneven environments • Complementary payload set consisting of panoramic cameras [1] and 3D laser scanners • Autonomous capabilities •

Chaotic terrains are broad regions on Mars characterized by the disruption of the basaltic bedrock into polygonal blocks separated by deep fractures. To date, the proposed genetic scenarios often involve the occurrence of subsurface ice or liquid H2O. Nevertheless, similar features also occur within some craters on the Moon, namely floor-fractured...

The METERON project is a European initiative to prepare for future human-robotic exploration missions to the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies. The project aims to implement infrastructure and tools to test and evaluate communications, operations and robotic control strategies in the context of future exploration missions. It is in collaboratio...

Monitoring of vibrational eigenmodes of an elastic body excited by gravitational waves was one of the first concepts proposed for the detection of gravitational waves. At laboratory scale, these experiments became known as resonant bar detectors first developed by Joseph Weber in the 1960s. Due to the dimensions of these bars, the targeted signal f...

The DAEDALUS mission concept aims at exploring and characterising the entrance and initial part of Lunar lava tubes within a compact, tightly integrated spherical robotic device, with a complementary payload set and autonomous capabilities. The mission concept addresses specif- ically the identification and characterisation of potential resources f...

Scientific exploration will play an important role in future human missions to the Moon and Mars. Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA) on the surface of these objects will be supported by a host of technologies driving operations and data collection. In order to enhance the scientific return of each EVA and utilise expertise located on Earth, it is nec...

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) coupled with 3D terrain reconstructions are increasingly used for science, education and out-reach applications. These techniques [1, 2] are becom-ing more widespread thanks to the release since 2016 of reliable, versatile and cost-effective hardware solutions accessible to the general public. In the...

This paper presents new field and synthetic modelling results of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) surveys for the identification and detection of lava tubes with the particular aim of using ERT tech-niques for stratigraphic investigations of planetary volcanic analogues. These geophysical surveys were undertaken at the Corona volcano (Lanzar...

Volcanic activity is widespread within the inner Solar system and it can be commonly observed on rocky planets. In this work, we analyse the structures of Pavonis Mons in the Tharsis volcanic province of Mars by performing structural mapping, azimuth, and topographic distribution of linear features on the flanks of Pavonis, such as grabens and pit...

Grooves represent the evidence of tectonic activity that deformed Ganymede surface during its geologic evolution. In this work, we investigate the main characteristics of Ganymede’s groove populations on four different areas located at the equatorial region of the satellite (Uruk Sulcus, Babylon Sulci, Phrygia Sulcus and Mysia Sulci). Specifically,...

A bifocal panoramic stereoscopic camera (BIPS) has been designed a realized as a terrestrial prototype. The core of the camera is a novel Bifocal Panoramic Lens (BPL) we designed and realized, which is able to carry out a panoramic field of 360° in azimuth, 100° in elevation (+60°/-40° with respect to the horizon) and, simultaneously, an enlargemen...

Planetary geologic maps are usually carried out following a morpho‐stratigraphic approach where morphology is the dominant character guiding the remote sensing image interpretation. On the other hand, on Earth a more comprehensive stratigraphic approach is preferred, using lithology, overlapping relationship, genetic source, and ages as the main di...

The objective of this document is the definition of a set of cartographic and technical standards and directions to be used, adapted or -in minor form -established for GMAP. Standards proposed and mentioned in the present documents include geologic and cartographic aspects. Some of the proposed directions and standards are initial ones that are pla...

Pit chains commonly occur along a bounding fault, allowing to infer a genetic relationship between grabens and pits. In this work we propose a comprehensive model for the formation of pit chains , the complex sequence of rift system and troughs in Noctis Labyrinthus. Like other previous authors, we confirm that a volcano-tectonic activity is the ma...

Virtual Reality (VR, with headsets) and Augmented Reality (AR, using a smartphone or tablet) coupled with 3D photogrammetric reconstructions are increasingly used for science, education and outreach applications. These techniques are not new [e. g. 1, 2], but they are becoming progressively more widespread thanks to the release in 2016 of technolog...

Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we describe the PANGAEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts) Mineralogical Database developd by ESA (European Space Agency):...

This paper presents new results of the application of passive seismic surveys for the stratigraphic investigation of planetary volcanic analogues. We tested HVSR (Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio) surveys that seem particularly suitable for planetary subsurface exploration. In order to exploit the potential of these surveys in stratigraphic ap...

Sinuous collapse chains and skylights in lunar and Martian volcanic regions have often been interpreted as collapsed lava tubes (also known as pyroducts). This hypothesis has fostered a forty years debate among planetary geologists trying to define if analogue volcano-speleogenetic processes acting on Earth could have created similar subsurface lin...

Chaotic terrains are broad regions on Mars characterized by the occurrence of angular-polygonal blocks separated by deep fractures and grabens, associated with collapse chains and with the overall mineralogy consisting mainly in basalts (Luzzi et al., submitted, 2020). Several mechanisms of formation for Chaotic terrains were proposed in the litera...

The Curiosity rover's campaign in the Gale crater on Mars provides a large set of close-up images of sedimentary formations outcrops displaying a variety of diagenetic features such as light-toned veins, nodules and raised ridges. Through 2D and 3D analyses of Mastcam images we herein reconstruct the vein network of a sample area and estimated the...

To understand the origin of the rift systems and troughs in Noctis Labyrinthus, we mapped a large fraction of faults (N = 494) and checked their orientation (Fig.2), size, and distribution (Fig.3). We also studied the relationship between the vertical offset and the length of fault systems through the equation D Max = ɣL n (Cowie, P.A & Sholz, C.H....

Our research focuses on the detailed study of the aeolian deposits within Moreux crater using multi-resolution imaging and spectral data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The morphometric analysis on the dune slip faces and wind streak orientations allowed us to reconstruct the sand transport pathways and the changes of the transport pattern. W...

We report on evidence for fluid circulation in the upper crust of Mars, which could create environments favorable for life and its development. We investigate the nature of the thumbprint terrains covering part of Arcadia Planitia in the Martian northern hemisphere. Our analytic procedure allowed us to (i) hypothesise a potential relationship betwe...

Planetary surfaces consist of rough terrain and cave-like environments. Future planetary exploration demands for accurate mapping. However, recent backpack mobile mapping systems are mostly tested in structured, indoor environments. This paper evaluates the use of a backpack mobile mapping system in a cave-like environment. The experiments demonstr...

Located in the northeastern part of the island of Lanzarote (Canary Islands), the La Corona lava tube with its 7.6 km length and 10-20 m diameter is one of the world's largest volcanic cave complex. Two different types of volcanic complexes characterized the area: the shield volcano building of the Famara complex (Mio-Pliocene activity) and the lat...

Understanding the origin of the Hesperian‐aged sulfate‐bearing Equatorial Layered Deposits (ELDs) is crucial to infer Mars' climatic conditions during their formation and to assess their habitability potential. We investigated well‐exposed ELDs in Kotido crater (Arabia Terra) and produced a detailed geological map of the crater infill, distinguishi...

The volcanic island of Lanzarote hosts an impressive variety of cavities formed by different volcanic processes. The presence of well preserved lava fields belonging to historic eruptions and more ancient and weathered quaternary and pliocene terrains and the association with an arid climate provide the unique oportunity of studying volcanic caves...

This paper presents the abundances and the size-frequency distributions (SFD) of the ejected boulders surrounding the Linne crater, located on the Moon's Mare Serenitatis basin. By means of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera high-resolution images we prepare a context geological map of the Linne crater as well as we identify 12000 boulders > 4.4 m...

Arabia Terra is a region of Mars where signs of past-water occurrence are recorded in several landforms. Broad and local scale geomorphological, compositional and hydrological analyses point towards pervasive fluid circulation through time. In this work we focus on mound fields located in the interior of three casters larger than 40 km (Firsoff, Ko...

This paper presents the abundances and the size-frequency distributions (SFD) of the ejected boulders surrounding the Linnè crater, located on the Moon's Mare Serenitatis basin. By means of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera high-resolution images we prepare a context geological map of the Linné crater as well as we identify 12000 boulders ≥4.4 m,...

Noctis Labyrinthus is made up by inter-connected canyons with complex branched networks of extensional faults and grabens whose origin and evolution is still debated. It is located in the Northern hemisphere at the western part of Valles Marineris, and is bordered by Noctis Fossae to NE and by Syria Planum and Syria Colles to the SSE (defined on th...

The main objective of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is the search for traces of atmospheric gases that could be the signature of biological activity on Mars. Among different onboard instruments, the spacecraft includes an imaging and photogrammetric camera called Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS, [1]) that is a narrow angle te...

The investigation of the Martian surface through remote sensing allowed the identification of mound-like topographically positive features that, based on geomorphological observations, have been ascribed to different phenomena. New observations will be performed in the forthcoming future to look for possible methane sources, hence discriminating mo...

The Higher Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) of Mars Express is one of the successful scanning instruments to obtain near-simultaneous images of specific areas. HRSC takes a colored image in 3D that contains key information allowing the geologic context study. In addition, the CTX camera of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is also a powerful toolset t...

Introduction: During the Apollo EVA traverses astronauts gathered a variety of data, including pictures , videos, audio recordings, geographic positions and scientific data [1]. All these information have been later on associated to the samples retrieved, in order to increase their scientific value in the general geologic context. Compared to the A...

During the Apollo EVA traverses as- tronauts gathered a variety of data, including pic- tures, videos, audio recordings, geographic positions and scientific data [1] . All these information have been later on associated to the samples retrieved, in order to increase their scientific value in the general geologic context. Compared to the Apollo miss...

Southern highlands of Mars have experienced regional to global scale deformations in the history of its evolution. Deformational structures originated from impact-induced stresses and later viscous relaxation of the impact basin to cooling related global contraction. Here in this study, we investigated an Early Hesperian (Eo-Archean / Paleo-Archean...

The Corona lava tube (Lanzarote, Canary Island, Spain) is one of the world's largest volcanic cave complex, with a total length of about 8km, comprising both dry and submerged sections. The 6 km long terrestrial portion of the tube is open to the surface through a series of skylights, in the local language called “jameos”, that are aligned along th...

Scoria or cinder cones are relevant analogies for both the Moon and Mars and beyond. Examples include the Marius Hills complex with its C-shaped irregular cones or the pitted cones in the Nephentesu / Amenthes region of Mars. The geological complexity and possible young age of some of the planetary cones on the Moon and Mars make them suitable cand...