Sublimation and transport of water from the north residual polar CAP on Mars
Abstract
The possible role of the north residual cap in the current Martian water cycle was examined using models to assess the ability of the cap to supply water to the atmosphere and the ability of the atmospheric circulation to transport it out of the polar regions to low northern latitudes. Results indicate that rather extreme circumstances would be required for the cap to provide all of the observed increase in atmospheric water, such as a combination of high surface winds, low cap emissivities, or substantial evaporation from dark material. But even if these conditions could be met, the high-latitude circulation is too localized in scale to move much water vapor out of the polar environment. Both the present calculations and the data from the Viking's Mars Atmospheric Water Detection Experiment show that about two thirds of the water appearing in the Martian northern hemisphere during summer must be supplied by other sources. It is suggested that the additional source is water desorbing from the nonpolar regolith.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Geophysical Research
- Pub Date:
- February 1990
- DOI:
- 10.1029/JB095iB02p01423
- Bibcode:
- 1990JGR....95.1423H
- Keywords:
-
- Mars Atmosphere;
- Polar Caps;
- Satellite Observation;
- Transport Properties;
- Water Vapor;
- Carbon Dioxide;
- Mars Surface;
- Sublimation;
- Viking Spacecraft;
- MARS;
- SUBLIMATION;
- TRANSPORT;
- WATER;
- POLAR REGIONS;
- POLAR CAPS;
- DUST;
- MAWD INSTRUMENT;
- VIKING MISSIONS;
- SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS;
- ATMOSPHERE;
- CYCLES;
- SEASONAL VARIATIONS;
- SIMULATIONS;
- CIRCULATION;
- MODELS;
- SOURCE;
- REGOLITH;
- ABUNDANCE;
- CALCULATIONS;
- DYNAMICS;
- IRTM INSTRUMENT;
- PROCEDURE;
- WATER VAPOR;
- COMPARISONS;
- MIXING;
- PRECIPITATION;
- TOPOGRAPHY