From Faroese Basalts to Mars: Geological Analogues and RIMFAX Insights into the Martian Subsurface
This seminar presents a perspective on Martian geology, drawing on personal experience from the volcanic terrains in the Faroe Islands. Through geological mapping, lithological analysis, and geophysical interpretation of on- and offshore basalts in the North Atlantic Igneous Province, insights from terrestrial fieldwork are linked to planetary exploration.
The seminar focuses on subsurface investigations conducted by NASA's Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater, specifically highlighting findings from the RIMFAX ground-penetrating radar. New results reveal subsurface layering and fluviatile sediment transport processes that reshape our understanding of Mars' aqueous history. These interpretations emerge from collaborative analysis within NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Science Team, where terrestrial analog knowledge directly informs the interpretation of Martian stratigraphy.
Short Bio: Uni E. Árting is a Faroese geologist with a passion for volcanic terrains, shaped by two decades of fieldwork in the Faroe Islands. Currently working at the Faroese Geological Survey (Jarðfeingi), he holds a research affiliation with the Centre for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS) at the University of Oslo and serves as an external lecturer at the University of the Faroe Islands. Uni has extensive experience in field geology, geochemistry, seismic interpretation and is part of NASA’s Perseverance Mars 2020 Science Team, where he contributes to interpreting subsurface data from the RIMFAX GPR. Participation in the Arctic Mars Analog Science Expeditions (AMASE) has provided hands-on experience in testing instruments for Mars missions in basalt-rich environments, bridging field geology with mission science and connecting Earth-based geologic systems with the geology of Mars.
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