Automatic Plume Detection for Planetary Bodies

Detections of plumes on the Jovian moon Io and the Saturn moon Enceladus are indicators of dynamic endogenic processes. As such, these phenomena are features of high scientific interest. Tools that automatically detect similar phenomena in image data aid in characterization tasks, particularly with respect to onboard operations. To that end, we have developed a tool, using techniques from computer vision and image processing, to detect these phenomena in image data. The detection tool has been used to detect eruptions on Io in Galileo SSI images and cryovolcanic eruptions on Enceladus in Cassini ISS data. The plume detection tool is computationally efficient enough to run on a typical spacecraft processor, permitting onboard analysis of images as they are acquired. Onboard analysis permits data collection for extended time periods, yet does not saturate limited downlink bandwidth when events are not occurring. In the future, such onboard detection will enable rapid response tasks, such as high temporal frequency event monitoring.