Detections of Water Vapor Increase Over the North Polar Troughs on Mars as Observed by CRISM

Detections of Water Vapor Increase Over the North Polar Troughs on Mars as Observed by CRISM

Abstract The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been observing the north polar layered deposits (NPLD) of Mars. Polar wind circulations are instrumental in shaping the NPLD. In particular, the downslope (katabatic) flows help carv...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alain SJ. Khayat, Michael D. Smith, Scott D. Guzewich
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Mars atmosphere
radiative transfer
polar trough
katabatic jump
spectroscopy
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086195
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been observing the north polar layered deposits (NPLD) of Mars. Polar wind circulations are instrumental in shaping the NPLD. In particular, the downslope (katabatic) flows help carve the spiral‐shaped geological depressions, known as the polar troughs, and appropriate environmental conditions develop katabatic jumps that favor substantial water abundance changes over the troughs. Utilizing CRISM retrievals, we report the first observational evidence of the sharp increase in the water vapor abundance over polar troughs on Mars at high resolution (~320 m). This has a direct influence on the dynamic evolution of ice migration in the northern polar cap, the major source of atmospheric water on Mars.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007

Similar Items