Jarntimarra Database (JNT-DB)

Document cover sheet

Introduction
References
How the database was created
Use of the database
The database
Climate data

INTRODUCTION

This document contains catalogued data for Australian localities identified as analogous in one or more ways to the surface of Mars. The database is intended to become a valuable tool for Mars researchers and mission planners interested in making use of analogue features provided by Australia.

DOCUMENT PURPOSE

This document is intended to:

1. Provide a list of localities of interest for Mars analogue activities,
2. Provide comprehensive information for these localities, to help Mars researchers assess the value of these to their activities and facilitate their use for analogue research,
3. Demonstrate pro-active leadership by MSA and strengthen its scientific credentials with a view to establishing closer links with organisations planning Mars missions,
4. Provide a basis for locality selection for MSA field operations

REFERENCES

Each entry includes references. Refer to MSA-TEC-MNG-STD-02-01-Glossary-ver1.doc for a Glossary of Terms. All climate data and images have been obtained from http://www.bom.gov.au 

HOW THE DATABASE WAS CREATED

The specification MSA-TEC-JNT-PM-01-01-Initial_brief-ver1 outlines the motivation and data fields initially envisaged.

Jarntimarra field expeditions will help expand and verify site information by collecting local knowledge and developing contacts. As each locality is better characterised, new data fields may be created. We expect many more localities will be identified.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

This database will provide international and local Mars researchers with a "one stop shop", initially providing ready access to information allowing selection of analogue sites in central Australia. This will facilitate an Australian role in future Mars missions, providing the basis for a greatly expanded version including Mars analogue sites from all over the world including North America, Antarctica and the deserts of Northern Africa and the Middle East.

The database should always be considered a "work in progress".

Project Jarntimarra will develop an online, searchable version of the database, providing a better medium for entering, editing, managing and accessing a larger number of entries, more detailed data and additional high resolution images.

CONTRIBUTORS

This section will keep a running list of database contributors:

Table 1 Jarntimarra database contributors

USE OF THE DATABASE

MSA is an Australian not-for-profit incorporated association organisation affiliated with the private not-for-profit US organisation The Mars Society. This database is currently Unrestricted for a period of one (1) year from 5 August 2001 to 5 August 2002.  MSA welcomes donations or funding support to help cover costs of its continuing development.  For more information, contact the MSA Fundraising Director.

At the end of this Unrestricted period, the MSA Board will consider licensing access (using a password) to the complete database for organisational users.   A limited database will remain publicly available.

HIERARCHICAL LOCALITY IDENTIFICATION

For the purpose of identifying and cataloguing localities, the following categories are proposed:

Table 2 Locality Categorisation

LC is the Locality Category, being the log10 value of the site radius rounded upwards. The radius is order-of-magnitude only and each locality is associated with a rectangular map section bounded by a pair of longitude and latitude values. Localities with LC = 1 can be identified with a unique latitude and longitude pair. All localities with LC >= 2 can be identified by a hierarchical name string, for example a site near the Henbury Craters:

Australia-NT_SW-Henbury-Crater_3-Location_C-Site_32-Point_X

Figure 1 illustrates the hierarchy scheme. Each locality will have associated with it an exclusive topographical definition.

This scheme is not yet implemented in this version.

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