资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

The Mars 2020 rover will land in Jezero crater, characterize the local geology, and collect samples to send back to Earth. Ionizing radiation at the Martian surface degrades the complex organic molecules sought by this mission, making it critical to mission success that samples be selected from recently eroded strata minimally exposed to surface radiation. We used numerical modeling to identify sites near the rover landing area potentially eroded by recent winds. Large eddy simulation of turbulent airflow over topography was coupled with interpretations of the surface geology to 1) establish a baseline estimate of local grain mobility and 2) characterize potential wind‐driven erosion across the Jezero crater delta deposit. We discuss sediment sources with respect to abrasion and rover trafficability at several locations. Our results identify several locations that provide optimal sites for sample collection. These results offer a baseline for comparing theory and observations collected by the rover.