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Aoki S, Vandaele AC, Daerden F, Villanueva GL, Liuzzi G, Clancy RT, Lopez‐Valverde MA, Brines A, Thomas IR, Trompet L, Erwin JT, Neary L, Robert S, Piccialli A, Holmes JA, Patel MR, Yoshida N, Whiteway J, Smith MD, Ristic B, Bellucci G, Lopez‐Moreno JJ, Fedorova AA. Global Vertical Distribution of Water Vapor on Mars: Results From 3.5 Years of ExoMars-TGO/NOMAD Science Operations. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2022; 127:e2022JE007231. [PMID: 36583097 PMCID: PMC9787519 DOI: 10.1029/2022je007231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We present water vapor vertical distributions on Mars retrieved from 3.5 years of solar occultation measurements by Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which reveal a strong contrast between aphelion and perihelion water climates. In equinox periods, most of water vapor is confined into the low-middle latitudes. In aphelion periods, water vapor sublimated from the northern polar cap is confined into very low altitudes-water vapor mixing ratios observed at the 0-5 km lower boundary of measurement decrease by an order of magnitude at the approximate altitudes of 15 and 30 km for the latitudes higher than 50°N and 30-50°N, respectively. The vertical confinement of water vapor at northern middle latitudes around aphelion is more pronounced in the morning terminators than evening, perhaps controlled by the diurnal cycle of cloud formation. Water vapor is also observed over the low latitude regions in the aphelion southern hemisphere (0-30°S) mostly below 10-20 km, which suggests north-south transport of water still occurs. In perihelion periods, water vapor sublimated from the southern polar cap directly reaches high altitudes (>80 km) over high southern latitudes, suggesting more effective transport by the meridional circulation without condensation. We show that heating during perihelion, sporadic global dust storms, and regional dust storms occurring annually around 330° of solar longitude (L S) are the main events to supply water vapor to the upper atmosphere above 70 km.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Aoki
- Department of Complexity Science and EngineeringGraduate School of Frontier SciencesThe University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - A. C. Vandaele
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - F. Daerden
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | | | - G. Liuzzi
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
- Department of PhysicsAmerican UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | | | - A. Brines
- Instituto de Astrofísica de AndalucíaGlorieta de la AstronomiaGranadaSpain
| | - I. R. Thomas
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - L. Trompet
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - J. T. Erwin
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - L. Neary
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - S. Robert
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
- Institute of Condensed Matter and NanosciencesUniversité catholique de LouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - A. Piccialli
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | - J. A. Holmes
- School of Physical SciencesThe Open UniversityMilton KeynesUK
| | - M. R. Patel
- School of Physical SciencesThe Open UniversityMilton KeynesUK
| | | | - J. Whiteway
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space ScienceYork UniversityTorontoONCanada
| | - M. D. Smith
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | - B. Ristic
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyBrusselsBelgium
| | | | - J. J. Lopez‐Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofísica de AndalucíaGlorieta de la AstronomiaGranadaSpain
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2
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Scheller EL, Ehlmann BL, Hu R, Adams DJ, Yung YL. Long-term drying of Mars by sequestration of ocean-scale volumes of water in the crust. Science 2021; 372:56-62. [PMID: 33727251 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Geological evidence shows that ancient Mars had large volumes of liquid water. Models of past hydrogen escape to space, calibrated with observations of the current escape rate, cannot explain the present-day deuterium-to-hydrogen isotope ratio (D/H). We simulated volcanic degassing, atmospheric escape, and crustal hydration on Mars, incorporating observational constraints from spacecraft, rovers, and meteorites. We found that ancient water volumes equivalent to a 100 to 1500 meter global layer are simultaneously compatible with the geological evidence, loss rate estimates, and D/H measurements. In our model, the volume of water participating in the hydrological cycle decreased by 40 to 95% over the Noachian period (~3.7 billion to 4.1 billion years ago), reaching present-day values by ~3.0 billion years ago. Between 30 and 99% of martian water was sequestered through crustal hydration, demonstrating that irreversible chemical weathering can increase the aridity of terrestrial planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Scheller
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - B L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Renyu Hu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D J Adams
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Y L Yung
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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3
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Fedorova AA, Montmessin F, Korablev O, Luginin M, Trokhimovskiy A, Belyaev DA, Ignatiev NI, Lefèvre F, Alday J, Irwin PGJ, Olsen KS, Bertaux JL, Millour E, Määttänen A, Shakun A, Grigoriev AV, Patrakeev A, Korsa S, Kokonkov N, Baggio L, Forget F, Wilson CF. Stormy water on Mars: The distribution and saturation of atmospheric water during the dusty season. Science 2020; 367:297-300. [PMID: 31919130 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay9522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The loss of water from Mars to space is thought to result from the transport of water to the upper atmosphere, where it is dissociated to hydrogen and escapes the planet. Recent observations have suggested large, rapid seasonal intrusions of water into the upper atmosphere, boosting the hydrogen abundance. We use the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to characterize the water distribution by altitude. Water profiles during the 2018-2019 southern spring and summer stormy seasons show that high-altitude water is preferentially supplied close to perihelion, and supersaturation occurs even when clouds are present. This implies that the potential for water to escape from Mars is higher than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Fedorova
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia.
| | - Franck Montmessin
- Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - Oleg Korablev
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Luginin
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Denis A Belyaev
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay I Ignatiev
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Franck Lefèvre
- Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - Juan Alday
- Physics Department, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Kevin S Olsen
- Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France.,Physics Department, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Jean-Loup Bertaux
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia.,Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - Ehouarn Millour
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Anni Määttänen
- Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - Alexey Shakun
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V Grigoriev
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia.,Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre at Mount Stromlo Observatory, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Andrey Patrakeev
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Svyatoslav Korsa
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikita Kokonkov
- Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Lucio Baggio
- Laboratoire Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - Francois Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Jussieu, Paris, France
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4
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The Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS): Current Status and Future Directions. ATMOSPHERE 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos10120747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) is closing in on two decades of use as a tool to investigate mesoscale and microscale circulations and dynamics in the atmosphere of Mars. Over this period of time, there have been numerous improvements and additions to the model dynamical core, physical parameterizations, and framework. At the same time, the application of the model to Mars (and related code for other planets) has taught many lessons about limitations and cautions that should be exercised. The current state of MRAMS is described along with a review of prior studies and findings utilizing the model. Where appropriate, lessons learned are provided to help guide future users and aid in the design and interpretation of numerical experiments. The paper concludes with a discussion of future MRAMS development plans.
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5
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Seasonal Deposition and Lifting of Dust on Mars as Observed by the Curiosity Rover. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17576. [PMID: 30514860 PMCID: PMC6279765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35946-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In situ measurements by the Curiosity rover provide a unique opportunity for studying the effects of dust on assets placed at the surface of Mars. Here we use in situ measurements of solar UV radiation to quantify the seasonal and interannual variability of dust accumulation on the sensor on the rover deck. We show that the amount of dust accumulated on the sensor follows a seasonal cycle, with net dust removal during the perihelion season until Ls ~ 300°, and net dust deposition until the end of the aphelion season (Ls ~ 300°-180°). We use independent in situ measurements of atmospheric opacity and pressure perturbations in combination with numerical modeling, showing that daytime convective vortices and nighttime winds are likely responsible for the seasonal dust cleaning, with the role of nighttime wind being more important in Martian Year (MY) 32 than in MY 33 and that of daytime convective vortices being more important in MY 33 than in MY 32. The fact that the UV sensor is cleaner in MY 33 than in MY 32 indicates that natural cleaning events make solar energy an excellent candidate to power extended (multiannual) Mars missions at similar latitudes as the Curiosity rover.
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6
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Guzewich SD, Newman CE, Smith MD, Moores JE, Smith CL, Moore C, Richardson MI, Kass D, Kleinböhl A, Mischna M, Martín-Torres FJ, Zorzano-Mier MP, Battalio M. The Vertical Dust Profile over Gale Crater, Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2017; 122:2779-2792. [PMID: 32523861 PMCID: PMC7285022 DOI: 10.1002/2017je005420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We create a vertically coarse, but complete, vertical profile of dust mixing ratio from the surface to the upper atmosphere over Gale Crater, Mars, using the frequent joint atmospheric observations of the orbiting Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) and the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. Using these data and an estimate of planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth from the MarsWRF general circulation model, we divide the vertical column into three regions. The first region is the Gale Crater PBL, the second is the MCS-sampled region, and the third is between these first two. We solve for a well-mixed dust mixing ratio within this third (middle) layer of atmosphere to complete the profile. We identify a unique seasonal cycle of dust within each atmospheric layer. Within the Gale PBL, dust mixing ratio maximizes near southern hemisphere summer solstice (Ls = 270°) and minimizes near winter solstice (Ls = 90-100°) with a smooth sinusoidal transition between them. However, the layer above Gale Crater and below the MCS-sampled region more closely follows the global opacity cycle and has a maximum in opacity near Ls = 240° and exhibits a local minimum (associated with the "solsticial pause" in dust storm activity) near Ls = 270°. With knowledge of the complete vertical dust profile, we can also assess the frequency of high-altitude dust layers over Gale. We determine that 36% of MCS profiles near Gale Crater contain an "absolute" high-altitude dust layer wherein the dust mixing ratio is the maximum in the entire vertical column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Guzewich
- NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Code 693, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | | | - M D Smith
- NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Code 693, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - J E Moores
- York University, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - C L Smith
- York University, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - C Moore
- York University, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | | | - D Kass
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109
| | - A Kleinböhl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109
| | - M Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109
| | - F J Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden; Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), 18100 Granada, Spain
| | - M-P Zorzano-Mier
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden; Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - M Battalio
- Texas A&M University, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College Station, TX 77843
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7
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Newman CE, Gómez-Elvira J, Marin M, Navarro S, Torres J, Richardson MI, Battalio JM, Guzewich SD, Sullivan R, de la Torre M, Vasavada AR, Bridges NT. Winds measured by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover's Bagnold Dunes Campaign and comparison with numerical modeling using MarsWRF. ICARUS 2017; 291:203-231. [PMID: 30393391 PMCID: PMC6208171 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2016.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A high density of REMS wind measurements were collected in three science investigations during MSL's Bagnold Dunes Campaign, which took place over ~80 sols around southern winter solstice (Ls~90°) and constituted the first in situ analysis of the environmental conditions, morphology, structure, and composition of an active dune field on Mars. The Wind Characterization Investigation was designed to Available online 14 December 2016 fully characterize the near-surface wind field just outside the dunes and confirmed the primarily upslope/downslope flow expected from theory and modeling of the circulation on the slopes of Aeolis Mons in this season. The basic pattern of winds is 'upslope' (from the northwest, heading up Aeolis Mons) during the daytime (~09:00-17:00 or 18:00) and 'downslope' (from the southeast, heading down Aeolis Mons) at night (~20:00 to some time before 08:00). Between these times the wind rotates largely clockwise, giving generally westerly winds mid-morning and easterly winds in the early evening. The timings of these direction changes are relatively consistent from sol to sol; however, the wind direction and speed at any given time shows considerable intersol variability. This pattern and timing is similar to predictions from the MarsWRF numerical model, run at a resolution of ~490 m in this region, although the model predicts the upslope winds to have a stronger component from the E than the W, misses a wind speed peak at ~09:00, and under-predicts the strength of daytime wind speeds by ~2-4 m/s. The Namib Dune Lee Investigation reveals 'blocking' of northerly winds by the dune, leaving primarily a westerly component to the daytime winds, and also shows a broadening of the 1 Hz wind speed distribution likely associated with lee turbulence. The Namib Dune Side Investigation measured primarily daytime winds at the side of the same dune, in support of aeolian change detection experiments designed to put limits on the saltation threshold, and also appears to show the influence of the dune body on the local flow, though less clearly than in the lee. Using a vertical grid with lower resolution near the surface reduces the relative strength of nighttime winds predicted by MarsWRF and produces a peak in wind speed at ~09:00, improving the match to the observed diurnal variation of wind speed, albeit with an offset in magnitude. The annual wind field predicted using this grid also provides a far better match to observations of aeolian dune morphology and motion in the Bagnold Dunes. However, the lower overall wind speeds than observed and disagreement with the observed wind direction at ~09:00 suggest that the problem has not been solved and that alternative boundary layer mixing schemes should be explored which may result in more mixing of momentum down to the near-surface from higher layers. These results demonstrate a strong need for in situ wind data to constrain the setup and assumptions used in numerical models, so that they may be used with more confidence to predict the circulation at other times and locations on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Newman
- Aeolis Research, Pasadena, CA 91107, USA
- Corresponding author: (C.E. Newman)
| | | | - Mercedes Marin
- Centro de AAstrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Navarro
- Centro de AAstrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josefina Torres
- Centro de AAstrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Manuel de la Torre
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Ashwin R. Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Nathan T. Bridges
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
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8
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Wong A, Shi L, Auchettl R, McNaughton D, Appadoo DRT, Robertson EG. Heavy snow: IR spectroscopy of isotope mixed crystalline water ice. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:4978-93. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp06756a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Temperature and isotopic dependence of simulated and experimental spectra shed light on the vibrational modes of crystalline water ice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Wong
- School of Chemistry
- Monash University
- Clayton
- Australia
| | - Liang Shi
- Theoretical Chemistry Institute and Department of Chemistry
- University of Wisconsin
- Madison
- USA
| | - Rebecca Auchettl
- Department of Chemistry and Physics
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
- La Trobe University
- Australia
| | | | | | - Evan G. Robertson
- Department of Chemistry and Physics
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
- La Trobe University
- Australia
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9
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Read PL, Lewis SR, Mulholland DP. The physics of Martian weather and climate: a review. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2015; 78:125901. [PMID: 26534887 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/78/12/125901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The planet Mars hosts an atmosphere that is perhaps the closest in terms of its meteorology and climate to that of the Earth. But Mars differs from Earth in its greater distance from the Sun, its smaller size, its lack of liquid oceans and its thinner atmosphere, composed mainly of CO(2). These factors give Mars a rather different climate to that of the Earth. In this article we review various aspects of the martian climate system from a physicist's viewpoint, focusing on the processes that control the martian environment and comparing these with corresponding processes on Earth. These include the radiative and thermodynamical processes that determine the surface temperature and vertical structure of the atmosphere, the fluid dynamics of its atmospheric motions, and the key cycles of mineral dust and volatile transport. In many ways, the climate of Mars is as complicated and diverse as that of the Earth, with complex nonlinear feedbacks that affect its response to variations in external forcing. Recent work has shown that the martian climate is anything but static, but is almost certainly in a continual state of transient response to slowly varying insolation associated with cyclic variations in its orbit and rotation. We conclude with a discussion of the physical processes underlying these long- term climate variations on Mars, and an overview of some of the most intriguing outstanding problems that should be a focus for future observational and theoretical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P L Read
- Atmospheric, Oceanic & Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
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10
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Forget F, Leconte J. Possible climates on terrestrial exoplanets. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:20130084. [PMID: 24664919 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2013.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
What kind of environment may exist on terrestrial planets around other stars? In spite of the lack of direct observations, it may not be premature to speculate on exoplanetary climates, for instance, to optimize future telescopic observations or to assess the probability of habitable worlds. To begin with, climate primarily depends on (i) the atmospheric composition and the volatile inventory; (ii) the incident stellar flux; and (iii) the tidal evolution of the planetary spin, which can notably lock a planet with a permanent night side. The atmospheric composition and mass depends on complex processes, which are difficult to model: origins of volatiles, atmospheric escape, geochemistry, photochemistry, etc. We discuss physical constraints, which can help us to speculate on the possible type of atmosphere, depending on the planet size, its final distance for its star and the star type. Assuming that the atmosphere is known, the possible climates can be explored using global climate models analogous to the ones developed to simulate the Earth as well as the other telluric atmospheres in the solar system. Our experience with Mars, Titan and Venus suggests that realistic climate simulators can be developed by combining components, such as a 'dynamical core', a radiative transfer solver, a parametrization of subgrid-scale turbulence and convection, a thermal ground model and a volatile phase change code. On this basis, we can aspire to build reliable climate predictors for exoplanets. However, whatever the accuracy of the models, predicting the actual climate regime on a specific planet will remain challenging because climate systems are affected by strong positive feedbacks. They can drive planets with very similar forcing and volatile inventory to completely different states. For instance, the coupling among temperature, volatile phase changes and radiative properties results in instabilities, such as runaway glaciations and runaway greenhouse effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, Paris, France
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11
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Greybush SJ, Wilson RJ, Hoffman RN, Hoffman MJ, Miyoshi T, Ide K, McConnochie T, Kalnay E. Ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation of Thermal Emission Spectrometer temperature retrievals into a Mars GCM. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012je004097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Madeleine JB, Forget F, Millour E, Montabone L, Wolff MJ. Revisiting the radiative impact of dust on Mars using the LMD Global Climate Model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Maltagliati L, Montmessin F, Fedorova A, Korablev O, Forget F, Bertaux JL. Evidence of Water Vapor in Excess of Saturation in the Atmosphere of Mars. Science 2011; 333:1868-71. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1207957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Maltagliati
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - F. Montmessin
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - A. Fedorova
- Space Research Institute (IKI), 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - O. Korablev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), 75252 Paris, France
| | - J.-L. Bertaux
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), 78280 Guyancourt, France
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14
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Heavens NG. Planetary science. Sunshine on a cloudy forecast. Science 2011; 333:1832-3. [PMID: 21960617 DOI: 10.1126/science.1212490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Heavens
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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15
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Phebus BD, Johnson AV, Mar B, Stone BM, Colaprete A, Iraci LT. Water ice nucleation characteristics of JSC Mars-1 regolith simulant under simulated Martian atmospheric conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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16
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Benson JL, Kass DM, Kleinböhl A. Mars' north polar hood as observed by the Mars Climate Sounder. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Benson JL, Kass DM, Kleinböhl A, McCleese DJ, Schofield JT, Taylor FW. Mars' south polar hood as observed by the Mars Climate Sounder. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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18
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Nelli SM, Murphy JR, Feldman WC, Schaeffer JR. Characterization of the nighttime low-latitude water ice deposits in the NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model 2.1 under present-day atmospheric conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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González‐Galindo F, Forget F, López‐Valverde MA, Angelats i Coll M, Millour E. A ground‐to‐exosphere Martian general circulation model: 1. Seasonal, diurnal, and solar cycle variation of thermospheric temperatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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21
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Spiga A, Forget F. A new model to simulate the Martian mesoscale and microscale atmospheric circulation: Validation and first results. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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22
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Lelieveld J. Ein umgekehrtes Ozonloch auf dem Mars. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2008. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.200804551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars. Nature 2008; 454:971-5. [PMID: 18719584 DOI: 10.1038/nature07116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2007] [Accepted: 05/27/2008] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen radicals are produced in the martian atmosphere by the photolysis of water vapour and subsequently initiate catalytic cycles that recycle carbon dioxide from its photolysis product carbon monoxide. These processes provide a qualitative explanation for the stability of the atmosphere of Mars, which contains 95 per cent carbon dioxide. Balancing carbon dioxide production and loss based on our current understanding of the gas-phase chemistry in the martian atmosphere has, however, proven to be difficult. Interactions between gaseous chemical species and ice cloud particles have been shown to be key factors in the loss of polar ozone observed in the Earth's stratosphere, and may significantly perturb the chemistry of the Earth's upper troposphere. Water-ice clouds are also commonly observed in the atmosphere of Mars and it has been suggested previously that heterogeneous chemistry could have an important impact on the composition of the martian atmosphere. Here we use a state-of-the-art general circulation model together with new observations of the martian ozone layer to show that model simulations that include chemical reactions occurring on ice clouds lead to much improved quantitative agreement with observed martian ozone levels in comparison with model simulations based on gas-phase chemistry alone. Ozone is readily destroyed by hydrogen radicals and is therefore a sensitive tracer of the chemistry that regulates the atmosphere of Mars. Our results suggest that heterogeneous chemistry on ice clouds plays an important role in controlling the stability and composition of the martian atmosphere.
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Johnson SS, Mischna MA, Grove TL, Zuber MT. Sulfur-induced greenhouse warming on early Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Whiteway J, Daly M, Carswell A, Duck T, Dickinson C, Komguem L, Cook C. Lidar on the Phoenix mission to Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Montmessin F, Haberle RM, Forget F, Langevin Y, Clancy RT, Bibring JP. On the origin of perennial water ice at the south pole of Mars: A precession-controlled mechanism? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Montmessin
- Space Science Division; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field USA
| | - R. M. Haberle
- Space Science Division; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field USA
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; CNRS, IPSL, UPMC; Paris France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay Campus France
| | | | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay Campus France
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Langevin Y, Bibring JP, Montmessin F, Forget F, Vincendon M, Douté S, Poulet F, Gondet B. Observations of the south seasonal cap of Mars during recession in 2004-2006 by the OMEGA visible/near-infrared imaging spectrometer on board Mars Express. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - F. Montmessin
- Service d'Aéronomie; CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Verrières-le-Buisson France
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Paris France
| | - M. Vincendon
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - S. Douté
- Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble; CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier; Grenoble France
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
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Levrard B, Forget F, Montmessin F, Laskar J. Recent formation and evolution of northern Martian polar layered deposits as inferred from a Global Climate Model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Sprague AL, Boynton WV, Kerry KE, Janes DM, Kelly NJ, Crombie MK, Nelli SM, Murphy JR, Reedy RC, Metzger AE. Mars' atmospheric argon: Tracer for understanding Martian atmospheric circulation and dynamics. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Forget F, Haberle RM, Montmessin F, Levrard B, Head JW. Formation of Glaciers on Mars by Atmospheric Precipitation at High Obliquity. Science 2006; 311:368-71. [PMID: 16424337 DOI: 10.1126/science.1120335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 365] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Surface conditions on Mars are currently cold and dry, with water ice unstable on the surface except near the poles. However, geologically recent glacierlike landforms have been identified in the tropics and the midlatitudes of Mars. The ice has been proposed to originate from either a subsurface reservoir or the atmosphere. We present high-resolution climate simulations performed with a model designed to simulate the present-day Mars water cycle but assuming a 45° obliquity as experienced by Mars a few million years ago. The model predicts ice accumulation in regions where glacier landforms are observed, on the western flanks of the great volcanoes and in the eastern Hellas region. This agreement points to an atmospheric origin for the ice and reveals how precipitation could have formed glaciers on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Université Paris 6 Boite Postale 99, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France.
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Montmessin F, Quémerais E, Bertaux JL, Korablev O, Rannou P, Lebonnois S. Stellar occultations at UV wavelengths by the SPICAM instrument: Retrieval and analysis of Martian haze profiles. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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33
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Hinson DP. Radio occultation measurements of transient eddies in the northern hemisphere of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Perrier S, Bertaux JL, Lefèvre F, Lebonnois S, Korablev O, Fedorova A, Montmessin F. Global distribution of total ozone on Mars from SPICAM/MEX UV measurements. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fedorova A, Korablev O, Bertaux JL, Rodin A, Kiselev A, Perrier S. Mars water vapor abundance from SPICAM IR spectrometer: Seasonal and geographic distributions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Montmessin F, Fouchet T, Forget F. Modeling the annual cycle of HDO in the Martian atmosphere. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Montmessin
- NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | - T. Fouchet
- LESIA; Observatoire de Paris; Paris France
| | - F. Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; Institut Pierre Simon Laplace; Paris France
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Tokano T. Hydration state and abundance of zeolites on Mars and the water cycle. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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38
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Feldman WC, Prettyman TH, Maurice S, Nelli S, Elphic R, Funsten HO, Gasnault O, Lawrence DJ, Murphy JR, Tokar RL, Vaniman DT. Topographic control of hydrogen deposits at low latitudes to midlatitudes of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Levrard B, Forget F, Montmessin F, Laskar J. Recent ice-rich deposits formed at high latitudes on Mars by sublimation of unstable equatorial ice during low obliquity. Nature 2004; 431:1072-5. [PMID: 15510141 DOI: 10.1038/nature03055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2004] [Accepted: 09/17/2004] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Observations from the gamma-ray spectrometer instrument suite on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft have been interpreted as indicating the presence of vast reservoirs of near-surface ice in high latitudes of both martian hemispheres. Ice concentrations are estimated to range from 70 per cent at 60 degrees latitude to 100 per cent near the poles, possibly overlain by a few centimetres of ice-free material in most places. This result is supported by morphological evidence of metres-thick layered deposits that are rich in water-ice and periglacial-like features found only at high latitudes. Diffusive exchange of water between the pore space of the regolith and the atmosphere has been proposed to explain this distribution, but such a degree of concentration is difficult to accommodate with such processes. Alternatively, there are suggestions that ice-rich deposits form by transport of ice from polar reservoirs and direct redeposition in high latitudes during periods of higher obliquity, but these results have been difficult to reproduce with other models. Here we propose instead that, during periods of low obliquity (less than 25 degrees), high-latitude ice deposits form in both hemispheres by direct deposition of ice, as a result of sublimation from an equatorial ice reservoir that formed earlier, during a prolonged high-obliquity excursion. Using the ice accumulation rates estimated from global climate model simulations we show that, over the past ten million years, large variations of Mars' obliquity have allowed the formation of such metres-thick, sedimentary layered deposits in high latitude and polar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Levrard
- Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, IMC-CNRS UMR8028, 77 Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France.
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