Exact, CosmicRocker. I cannot see through dunes, at leat for the moment!
Anyway, as Oppy approach the highway, discontinuites are disappearing (see previous Sol panoramas/projections)... so is only matter of time!

Hehe. But dilo, you are already doing such amazing things with these maps that I must believe it is only a matter of time before you perfect a "show hidden outdrop" projection.

After looking at SigurRosFan's comparison, it also occurred to me that the improved resolution of the ground-based imagery is another reason for differences in appearance.

Can you explain better this item?

I only meant that the higher resolution of your route maps compared to the orbiter imagery also probably contributes to differences in appearance. The comparison I referred to was this one.

Or the distribution of dunes not is different compared to the time when the orbital images were taken?

This is also the David hypothesys, and appear reasonable but.. I tend to think that is mainly a dune-hidding perspective issue, based on changes visible in the projections as Rover moves around.

I think the exploratorium site might not be updating again......the JPL RAW site has now caught up with it.

Right.

And I believe that MER & Exploratorium problems may be due to the same reason.
I'll try to find on the "other" forum a post from months ago related to a similar issue, with a response from the Exploratorium team explaining how the pictures get there from NASA servers and where the problems may be.

Edited: Found it. Have a look to reply #6 here: http://www.markcarey.com/mars/discuss-2774...um-updated.html

While none of both sites have really new images, let's say that Oppy drove again on sol 580 and was searching for dust devils on sol 581.

-------------

2. What EDRs do we have on the ground from sol 579, 580, 581?

Actual number of EDRs by sequence number and image type:

Sol Seq.Ver ETH ESF EDN EFF ERP Tot Description
--- -------- --- --- --- --- --- ---- -----------
...
580 p0705.03 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_180_3_bpp
580 p1214.05 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
580 p1920.04 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az000_1bpp_pri29_42
580 p2364.06 10 0 0 10 2 22 pancam_drive_direction_3bpp_L2R2
581 p2694.05 0 0 0 0 0 0 pancam_dust_devil_hunter_waitfor180_L6
581 p2694.05 3 0 0 0 0 3 pancam_dust_devil_hunter_waitfor180_L6
...
Total 299 46 44 69 26 484
-------------

Edit#2: After a while being down, now the MER Pancam Data Tracking Web Interface says:

"September 12, 2005
One of the computers at cornell is currently down, preventing database updates and access to jpeg images. This version of the database is correct as of September 11, 2005. Stay tuned for updates."

Another symptom of the same illness?

Opportunity is moving again

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1214R0M1.JPG

I think this must be the Erebus Highway

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P0705L0M1.JPG

It looks to me as though some of those big dunes cutting through the Highway, which aren't visible on the satellite images, are quite real on the ground.

It appears I under-rated Oppy's cross-country abilities, she crossed 7 (8?) dunes with ease.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1920L0M1.JPG

Although from the look of this image, there's enough outcrop here for the geologists to keep her "stuck" here for a while yet anyway .

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1920L0M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1920L0M1.JPG

Err I or are there also some (much) smaller dunes around the Highway?

I'm not afraid of getting "stuck" Probably all common matter in the vicinity.

Not to mention the giant "2001 Style" Obelisk in the middle of the highway

Yes, you'll notice that in images every now and then. I think it's following us

And I was counting every vaguely up or down ripple as a dune. It gives a bigger number and that's always better.

The dunes in today's cross-country jog were quite small and consolidated. Look at Dilo's 9 Sept route map and you can see that the dunes she turned away from on Sol 569 were large and steep. Good move on the Rover Drover's part.

--Bill

As a confirm of the "dune-masking" explaination, herebelow a comparison between vertical projection of Sol578 and 580.. last projection is very different and now correspondances with Erebus Highway features seen from orbit are quite impressive!

So the outcrops structure didn't change very much from satellite image capture and major discrepancies are visible only far from N-S direction, as expected because this is prevailing dunes orientation, so the less disturbed view...

Herebelow updated routemap.. it was very difficult to overlap Sol580 with previous ones, due to the longer distance covered in last two days.. so if someone find best match, suggestions are welcome!

Geez, just track the dirt all over the nice clean rocks, why don't ya.

The two areas that concerned me are dune deposits within the Highway, and which don't show up (or only sketchily so) in the orbital imagery -- those are immediately to the north and south of the Sol 580 position. I guess the differences can be put down to low resolution on the satellite image, which unfortunately gave me the impression of a single, solid ribbon of outcrop. I also got the impression that there was a large exposed "floor" immediately south of the "Highway", but now it seems that all of these areas are cut through by sand dunes.

David, if the discontinuites you're talking about are these highlighted below, my opinion is they should be too small to appear in the MGS image.

And about southern covered outcrops, they are probably too far for the moment... (even a small dune can cause misinterpretation)... let's see in the next Sol!

Just a nomenclature issue, here...

While we all tend to call the windforms here at Meridiani "dunes," they're not really dunes. "Dune" specifies a given overall size (much larger than these) and particle size (usually much coarser particles, such as sand, than these things are made of).

These have also been called "ripples," which is more of a descriptive term than a geological term.

One guy on the MER team (I don't remember his name) has said that the most appropriate term for these landforms is "drifts." The form size and particle size are more similar to terrestrial snowdrifts than just about anything else. Also, the formation dynamics seem more akin to drifting than to duning.

I'm just as guilty of referring to them as dunes as anyone else. But from now on, I'm going to make an effort to refer to them as drifts.

-the other Doug

Oppy was expected to drive today (sol 582), and actually most of the images are reported to be "on the ground" (as of 09:00 UTC). Let's hope the exploratorium (or whatever is in the chain) doesn't suffer hiccups again.

My eyes are constatly wide-opening for the incredible work done here...

Thanks for the new overviews, dilo!

Sol 580 update:

SigurRosFan,

I think you will have to enlarge the background map quite soon.

dilo, Your top view route maps are truly excellent.

Can't wait for the day when we have a MMB like 3d environment and we can just
string them all together and follow the entire trek from January 2004 to to the end.

That'd be cool. I mean it WILL be cool.

Someones gonna do it

The images of today's drive (sol 582) are already available on the exploratorium.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...C5P0705L0M1.JPG

Thanks, SigurRosFan, Ustrax and jaredGalen.
I would like too haiving a 3D MMB, eventually capable to calculate also real terrain topography (based on parallax); this would allow to have perfect projections and realistic environment! But l think Michael is already dooing great things and it would be impossible for an individual to manage a so ambitious project...
Anyway, the idea to stitch many older vertical projection is on my agenda.. for sure, I will do from Purgatory dune to Erebus (is only matter of time! )
Best regards..

That sounds like an excellent suggestion to me. It certainly is better than typing "dunes/ripples," and it seems to be more descriptive. Slap me if I forget.

How about "dripples"?

What's with your avatar image? Are you a "wacky" guy or what?

When I said dune in the Steve Q'n'A - he said Ripple

Doug

I agree this. Dunes refers to a large mount of sand. It might be from 2 meters up to 1 kilometer altitude as one of the tallest of the world for this kind. It is called Cerro blanco, Nazca, Perú.

Click here to see big dunes.

The sand from Meridiani is considered as ripples: small mount of sand.

Rodolfo

Updated routemap:

Dilo,

IMO, there is a missing leg on your last route map.
Oppy took two sets of navcam images on sol 582. The first is identified by the site/drive 6074 (Seq.No. #1740) and the second -- the last -- is at site/drive 60C5 (Seq.No. #0705).

Here below are the two legs. I've used one of your last projections as background.

Thanks Tesheiner, is a long trip!

Another consistent trip on Sol 583!

Oppy is making progress! Hmmm, it looks like she drove on the ripple crest during interval "h" to "i" on Sol 582 (23.9m).

BTW, what is a "Sett_didascalie" used in your filenames?

--Bill

Is an Italian image description...
Sett=Settembre=September, Didascalie=Annotation

Ah! I knew it was something useful like that, but couldn't get it to translate.

--Bill

Is this
http://themis-data.asu.edu/img/-V07441001....tretch=S2&tab=0

Our patch of real estate? Endurance and Victoria visible on the left? I think this is the only themis colour image of it

Doug

I just noticed the wheeltracks on the f -> g "drift-crossing" section of your projection - cute!

Sol583 South view...

yayyyyy......... sol 588 is drive day

Sol Seq.Ver ETH ESF EDN EFF ERP Tot Description
--- -------- --- --- --- --- --- ---- -----------
588 p1211.02 0 0 0 0 0 0 ultimate_front_haz_1_bpp_pri_17
588 p1235.04 0 0 0 0 0 0 front_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1235.04 0 0 0 0 0 0 front_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1235.04 0 0 0 0 0 0 front_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1235.04 0 0 0 0 0 0 front_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1311.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 rear_haz_ultimate_1_bpp_crit18
588 p1335.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 rear_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1335.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 rear_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1335.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 rear_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1335.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 rear_hazcam_stumble_0.5_bpp_pri_56
588 p1600.08 0 0 0 0 0 0 navcam_10x1_az_0_05_bpp
588 p1901.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 navcam_360_custom_pre_erebus
588 p2371.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 pancam_drive_direction_5x1_L2R2
588 p2600.07 0 0 0 0 0 0 pancam_tau
588 p2600.07 0 0 0 0 0 0 pancam_tau
588 Total 0 0 0 0 0 0

Yes, looks like we've moved; the Navcam images now show Erebus about as well as the Pancams did before (but are otherwise unremarkable). The Pancams should be nice when they come down.

Here is a Quicktime movie of Opportunity's navigation images from Purgatory to present (long 7.5 MB download, but arguably worth it). More movies here.

Michael, the movie is wonderful!
I produced a new route map from Sol588 front view, but I'm not 100% sure of rover position (very few elements, indeed).
So, if someone has alternative solution, pls tell me!

That movie is good proof that Opportunity actually is moving, albeit through a flat dried-up-seafloor-like plain.. I was starting to wonder. Thanks for putting it together.

New Sol588 images gived me the answer! previous match wasn't correct and now Oppy is moving in a new direction (SSW), heading directly toward closest Erebus rim (which appear 107m away)!!!

Hmmm...looks like 4-5 more days of driving on exposed rock then Oppy runs into the drifts immediately surrounding Erubus.

Hui Michael, I guess the Navcam movie is the first time that looks like a videocam on Board - never saw before. To see how it could be is really just a new (Oppy) feeling.

dvandorn @ Sep 13 said:

"While we all tend to call the windforms here at Meridiani "dunes," they're not really dunes."

Right!

This dune would put Uluru (Ayres Rock) in the shade:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2005/pdf/2373.pdf

Leo