One Annual Cycle of Martian Weather as Observed by TES

The Mars Global Surveyor has completed more than one full Mars year of mapping. Infrared spectra returned by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) are very well suited for monitoring the thermal structure and the distribution of water vapor and aerosols in the Mars atmosphere. Nadir-viewing spectra allow a global picture of the state of the Mars atmosphere on a daily basis. Limb-viewing spectra allow the extension of atmospheric temperature profiles to as high as 0.01 mbar (65 km) and the vertical distribution of water vapor and aerosols in the atmosphere to be retrieved. We report here on the observed seasonal cycle of atmospheric thermal structure and horizontal distribution of water vapor and aerosols, including the initiation and evolution of planet-encircling dust storm 2001a.