Collaborative Research: A Statistical Learning Tool for the Analysis and Characterization of Mars Topography

该项目的目标是设计和开发一个统计学习工具（STL），用于火星地形特征的分类和表征。研究火星表面的主要工具是地貌测绘和地质测绘。执行这些映射的标准方法是通过手动解释图像。这种费力的方法严重限制了火星上可供研究的地点的数量。STL自动化地貌制图，加快地质制图。因此，它可以对火星表面的大部分进行快速和定量的表征。SLT使用数字地形而不是图像来描述火星地点。不同的地形变量被融合成一个多层数据结构。站点中的每个像素都包含一系列本地和区域地形信息。在像素级对地形特征进行自动识别和分类。这使得基于其组成像素的统计数据的不同地形形成的定量表征和比较成为可能。利用地形图专题可以方便地将结果可视化。SLT的能力可以通过添加其他数据类型（多光谱图像）和将其应用于其他行星表面来扩展。这种方法有潜力成为一种具有广泛应用的强大调查工具。为了便于研究社区采用，实现SLT的代码及其文档将放在公共领域。这项工作的成果将通过新课程、研讨会演讲和与其他研究所的合作来传播。

The goal of this project is to design and develop a statistical-learning tool (STL) for classification and characterization of topographical features on Mars. Major tools for studying the Martian surface are geomorphic mapping and geologic mapping. The standard approach to perform these mappings is through a manual interpretation of images. This laborious approach severely limits the number of Martian sites amenable to study. The STL automates geomorphic mapping and expedites geologic mapping. Thus, it enables fast and quantitative characterization of large sections of the Martian surface. The SLT uses digital topography instead of images to characterize Martian sites. Different topographical variables are fused into a multi-layer data structure. Each pixel in a site carries an array of local and regional topographic information. The automatic recognition and classification of topographic features is performed at the pixel level. This enables the quantitative characterization and comparison of different topographic formations based on statistics of their constituent pixels. The results can be conveniently visualized by means of thematic maps of topography. The capacity of the SLT can be extended by adding other data types (multispectral images) and by applying it to other planetary surfaces. This methodology has a potential to become a powerful investigative tool with a wide range of applications. To facilitate its adoption by the research community the code that implements the SLT and its documentation will be put in the public domain. The results of this work will be disseminated through new courses, seminar talks, and collaborations with other institutes.