Project 5:
This project will enhance planetary geospatial data representation and to ensure maps more accurately reflect the geographical area they portray through the optimization of map distortion on different celestial bodies. All maps face the grid-to-ground problem, where distances measured on the ground surface are distorted and differ when measured on a map. While ground distortion is typically only accounted for during terrestrial civil engineering, mining, surveying, or construction; map projection distortion can be very high on other celestial bodies, like the Moon. The goal of this project is a simple pilot study to create distortion optimized map projections in high priority regions in planetary science such as the Artemis III candidate landing sites the Mars Sample Return locations in Jezero Crater, or a location of the students interest.
The first phase of the project teaches the student how geospatial data is represented in map projections and understanding the associated map projection distortion; USGS will teach the selected student about planetary mapping and geodesy. The second phase of the project will let the student optimize map projections, similar to the creation of the State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) with custom written python code and troubleshooting their geospatial data with geographic information systems (GIS) software. The student will be expected to work 10 hours per week in a hybrid work environment.
This work will support ongoing research related to the Artemis Program and support a future USGS open file report. If successful, the student will also have an opportunity to present results in a USGS wide science talk, and have their work included in a presentation/poster at the Lunar Planetary Science Conference, March 2025.