Outcrop
Related papers: 7
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An outcrop refers to a visible exposure of bedrock or subsurface geological material at the surface of a planetary body, seafloor, or terrestrial environment. In robotics and AI, outcrops serve as primary targets for autonomous and semi-autonomous exploration systems, where robots use cameras, spectrometers, and other sensors to analyze rock compositions, stratigraphic sequences, and surface textures. Rovers on Mars, for example, capture panoramic imagery of outcrops to reconstruct 3D digital models for geological interpretation, while underwater robots investigate seafloor outcrops such as methane hydrate formations. AI techniques enable automated feature detection, mineral classification, and landing site selection based on outcrop characteristics. Outcrops matter because they provide direct physical evidence of a body's geological history, past environmental conditions, and potential habitability — information otherwise inaccessible without deep drilling. For mission planners and field roboticists, identifying and characterizing outcrops guides sampling strategies, traverse planning, and scientific prioritization across planetary, lunar, and deep-sea exploration contexts.
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Ocean circulation promotes methane release from gas hydrate outcrops at the NEPTUNE Canada Barkley Canyon node
Laurenz Thomsen, Christopher R. Barnes, Mairi Best, Ross Chapman, B. Pirenne, Richard E. Thomson, Joachim Vogt
Citations: 60 • 2012
Geological Analysis of Martian Rover‐Derived Digital Outcrop Models Using the 3‐D Visualization Tool, Planetary Robotics 3‐D Viewer—PRo3D
Robert Barnes, Sanjeev Gupta, Christoph Traxler, Thomas Ortner, Arnold Bauer, Gerd Hesina, Gerhard Paar, Ben Huber, Kathrin Juhart, Laura Fritz, Bernhard Nauschnegg, Jan‐Peter Müller, Yu Tao
Citations: 49 • 2018
History of the clay-rich unit at Mawrth Vallis, Mars: High-resolution mapping of a candidate landing site
D. Loizeau, N. Mangold, F. Poulet, Jean‐Pierre Bibring, J. L. Bishop, J. R. Michalski, C. Quantin
Citations: 32 • 2015
Field investigation of volcanic deposits on Vulcano, Italy using a handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument
Kristin Rammelkamp, Susanne Schröder, Gianluigi Ortenzi, Alessandro Pisello, K. Stephan, Mickaël Baqué, Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers, O. Forni, F. Sohl, Laurenz Thomsen, Vikram Unnithan
Citations: 17 • 2021
Landing site rationality scaling for subsurface sampling on Mars—Case study for ExoMars Rover-like missions
Ákos Keresztúri
Citations: 12 • 2012
Human-assisted Sample Return Mission at the Schrödinger Basin, Lunar Far Side, Using a New Geologic Map and Rover Traverses
Ellen C. Czaplinski, Elise Harrington, S. K. Bell, G. D. Tolometti, B. E. Farrant, Valentin Bickel, C. I. Honniball, S. N. Martinez, A. Rogaski, Hannah Sargeant, D. A. Kring
Citations: 11 • 2021
Variability of Spatter Morphology in Pyroclastic Deposits in Southern Idaho, as Correlated to Thermal Conditions and Eruptive Environment
Erika Rader, Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, J. L. Heldmann
Citations: 9 • 2018