Rapid detection of centimeter-scale change in a Mars analog environment using ground-based mobile LiDAR

Abstract. Landed missions to dynamic planetary surfaces require tools capable of measuring the small-scale topographic changes driven by active surface processes. A ground-based LiDAR scanner is one of the few instruments capable of detecting the centimeter-scale changes that are expected due to both natural processes such as wind erosion and sedimentary reworking, as well as artificial processes resulting from robotic/human exploration. At landing site scales, a ground-based LiDAR scanner on a mobile platform can collect cm-scale topographic information more efficiently than using a scanner on a stationary mount. To demonstrate the viability of mobile LiDAR for planetary missions, we conducted scans at a Mars analog site in central Iceland. Scans before and after a windstorm detected erosion and deposition of sand on the order of a few cm, with a detection threshold of ~1 cm. The ability of the mobile platform to collect data over extremely short timescales (<30 minutes) made it possible to conduct spontaneous scans to record opportunistic targets after the windstorm, while maintaining cm-scale resolution. This makes a compelling case for the inclusion of mobile LiDAR on future missions to explore planetary surfaces such as the Moon, Mars and Titan.