MEX: MARSIS Electron Density and Magnetic Field Data from Mars Orbit

Local electron densities and magnetic field strengths derived from MARSIS radar ionograms during the Mars Express nominal mission. The data includes measured quantities, derived results, and a quality flag for reliability assessment. This archive product covers the nominal mission period from orbit 1850 to orbit 2539.

Use Cases

• Modeling the Martian ionosphere based on electron plasma density measurements.
• Analyzing the local magnetic field environment of Mars based on derived field strengths.
• Validating radar-based remote sensing techniques using the included measured and derived quantities.
• Assessing data reliability for scientific studies using the provided quality flags.

Strengths

• Data includes both measured raw signals and derived scientific quantities.
• Each record has an associated quality flag indicating the archivist's reliability assessment.
• Covers a defined mission period from orbit 1850 to orbit 2539.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) Active Ionospheric Sounding (AIS) mode ionograms.

Time Range

Covers the Mars Express nominal mission, from orbit 1850 to orbit 2539.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:39:50.873524; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mars