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Fischer E, Martínez GM, Rennó NO, Tamppari LK, Zent AP. Relative Humidity on Mars: New Results From the Phoenix TECP Sensor. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2019; 124:2780-2792. [PMID: 32025455 PMCID: PMC6988475 DOI: 10.1029/2019je006080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In situ measurements of relative humidity (RH) on Mars have only been performed by the Phoenix (PHX) and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) missions. Here we present results of our recalibration of the PHX thermal and electrical conductivity probe (TECP) RH sensor. This recalibration was conducted using a TECP engineering model subjected to the full range of environmental conditions at the PHX landing site in the Michigan Mars Environmental Chamber. The experiments focused on the warmest and driest conditions (daytime) because they were not covered in the original calibration (Zent et al., 2010, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JE003420) and previous recalibration (Zent et al., 2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JE004933). In nighttime conditions, our results are in excellent agreement with the previous 2016 recalibration, while in daytime conditions, our results show larger water vapor pressure values. We obtain vapor pressure values in the range ~0.005-1.4 Pa, while Zent et al. (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JE004933) obtain values in the range ~0.004-0.4 Pa. Our higher daytime values are in better agreement with independent estimates from the ground by the PHX Surface Stereo Imager instrument and from orbit by Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars. Our results imply larger day-to-night ratios of water vapor pressure at PHX compared to MSL, suggesting a stronger atmosphere-regolith interchange in the Martian arctic than at lower latitudes. Further, they indicate that brine formation at the PHX landing site via deliquescence can be achieved only temporarily between midnight and 6 a.m. on a few sols. The results from our recalibration are important because they shed light on the near-surface humidity environment on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Fischer
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - G. M. Martínez
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
- Lunar and Planetary InstituteUniversities Space Research AssociationHoustonTXUSA
| | - N. O. Rennó
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - L. K. Tamppari
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - A. P. Zent
- NASA Ames Research CenterMountain ViewCAUSA
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Brown AJ, Calvin WM, Murchie SL. Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) north polar springtime recession mapping: First 3 Mars years of observations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012je004113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Appéré T, Schmitt B, Langevin Y, Douté S, Pommerol A, Forget F, Spiga A, Gondet B, Bibring JP. Winter and spring evolution of northern seasonal deposits on Mars from OMEGA on Mars Express. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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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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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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Montmessin F. Origin and role of water ice clouds in the Martian water cycle as inferred from a general circulation model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Richardson MI, Wilson RJ. A topographically forced asymmetry in the martian circulation and climate. Nature 2002; 416:298-301. [PMID: 11907570 DOI: 10.1038/416298a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Large seasonal and hemispheric asymmetries in the martian climate system are generally ascribed to variations in solar heating associated with orbital eccentricity. As the orbital elements slowly change (over a period of >104 years), characteristics of the climate such as dustiness and the vigour of atmospheric circulation are thought to vary, as should asymmetries in the climate (for example, the deposition of water ice at the northern versus the southern pole). Such orbitally driven climate change might be responsible for the observed layering in Mars' polar deposits by modulating deposition of dust and water ice. Most current theories assume that climate asymmetries completely reverse as the angular distance between equinox and perihelion changes by 180 degrees. Here we describe a major climate mechanism that will not precess in this way. We show that Mars' global north-south elevation difference forces a dominant southern summer Hadley circulation that is independent of perihelion timing. The Hadley circulation, a tropical overturning cell responsible for trade winds, largely controls interhemispheric transport of water and the bulk dustiness of the atmosphere. The topography therefore imprints a strong handedness on climate, with water ice and the active formation of polar layered deposits more likely in the north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I Richardson
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MC 150-21, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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Richardson MI. Investigation of the nature and stability of the Martian seasonal water cycle with a general circulation model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Richardson MI. Water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere: General circulation model experiments with a simple cloud scheme. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Haberle RM, McKay CP, Schaeffer J, Cabrol NA, Grin EA, Zent AP, Quinn R. On the possibility of liquid water on present-day Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Mustard JF, Cooper CD, Rifkin MK. Evidence for recent climate change on Mars from the identification of youthful near-surface ground ice. Nature 2001; 412:411-4. [PMID: 11473309 DOI: 10.1038/35086515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 451] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ground ice in the crust and soil may be one of the largest reservoirs of water on Mars. Near-surface ground ice is predicted to be stable at latitudes higher than 40 degrees (ref. 4), where a number of geomorphologic features indicative of viscous creep and hence ground ice have been observed. Mid-latitude soils have also been implicated as a water-ice reservoir, the capacity of which is predicted to vary on a 100,000-year timescale owing to orbitally driven variations in climate. It is uncertain, however, whether near-surface ground ice currently exists at these latitudes, and how it is changing with time. Here we report observational evidence for a mid-latitude reservoir of near-surface water ice occupying the pore space of soils. The thickness of the ice-occupied soil reservoir (1-10 m) and its distribution in the 30 degrees to 60 degrees latitude bands indicate a reservoir of (1.5-6.0) x 104 km3, equivalent to a global layer of water 10-40 cm thick. We infer that the reservoir was created during the last phase of high orbital obliquity less than 100,000 years ago, and is now being diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
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Hinson DP, Tyler GL, Hollingsworth JL, Wilson RJ. Radio occultation measurements of forced atmospheric waves on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Joshi M, Haberle R, Hollingsworth J, Hinson D. A comparison of MGS Phase 1 aerobraking radio occultation data and the NASA Ames Mars GCM. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [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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Kass DM, Yung YL. Water on Mars: isotopic constraints on exchange between the atmosphere and surface. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 1999; 26:3653-3656. [PMID: 11543401 DOI: 10.1029/1999gl008372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Using a new measurement of the D/H fractionation efficiency and new estimates of the water loss, we calculate that Mars has the equivalent of a approximately 9 m global water layer in a reservoir that exchanges with the atmosphere. The measured D/H enrichment is about 5 times the terrestrial value, but without exchange, the atmosphere converges on an enrichment of 50 in about 0.5 Ma. Due to the large buffering reservoir and the rapid loss rate (10(-3) pr-micrometers yr-1), the small atmospheric reservoir, averaging 10 pr-micrometers, is unlikely to be in continuous isotopic equilibrium with the full 9 m exchangeable reservoir. Instead, it presumably equilibrates during periods of high obliquity; the atmospheric D/H ratio is expected to be enriched in between such periods. If isotopic exchange with a small (4 mm global layer) reservoir occurs under current conditions, it possible for the atmospheric D/H ratio to be within 10% of its long term equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Kass
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, USA
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Smrekar S, Catling D, Lorenz R, Magalhães J, Moersch J, Morgan P, Murray B, Presley M, Yen A, Zent A, Blaney D. Deep Space 2: The Mars Microprobe Mission. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Haberle RM, Houben H, Barnes JR, Young RE. A simplified three-dimensional model for Martian climate studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1029/97je00383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Zent AP, Quinn RC. Measurement of H2O adsorption under Mars-like conditions: Effects of adsorbent heterogeneity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1029/96je03420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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