Vertical Distribution of Water Vapor Using the Recalibrated TECP Relative Humidity Measurements and Coordinated MRO Observations at the Mars Phoenix Lander Site
Abstract
Coordinated observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter paired with surface measurements from the Phoenix Lander (PHX) provide a unique opportunity to study the vertical distribution of water abundances from the surface up to ~80 km, connecting processes occurring in the boundary layer in the first few kilometers to those active aloft. In addition to providing information on the water cycle, the vertical water profile also provides information on dynamical effects such as turbulent mixing, cloud condensation, as well as surface-atmospheric exchange processes. However, few instruments have been able to capture the vertical distribution of water in the Martian atmosphere, especially from the surface. Using the recalibrated PHX thermal and electrical conductivity probe (TECP) vapor pressure measurements by Fischer et al. (2019) as a constraint for the water mixing ratio at the surface, we determine water vapor column abundances assuming a uniform mixing ratio up to the cloud condensation height using saturation vapor pressures calculated from the MCS temperature profiles. In addition, the PHX lidar and MCS profiles provide information on the water ice vertical structure, while CRISM provides information on the column-integrated water vapor abundances. Together, this information is used to construct the vertical distribution of water vapor above the Phoenix landing site, which are then validated against water vapor profiles previously generated from PHX SSI camera observations (Tamppari and Lemmon, 2020). The necessary observations and coordinated campaigns are available throughout the PHX mission from late northern spring through late northern summer (Ls= 76.5° to 148°). Thus, we will be able to examine the seasonal variability in the water vapor vertical distribution and place constraints on the associated water transport at the Phoenix landing site in the northern polar region.
References: [1] Fischer et al. (2019). Relative humidity on Mars: New results from the Phoenix TECP sensor . JGR: Planets, 124 , 2780 - 2792; [2] Tamppari and Lemmon (2020). Near-surface atmospheric water vapor enhancement at the Mars Phoenix lander site, Icarus, Volume 343, 113624- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMP039...06L
- Keywords:
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- 0343 Planetary atmospheres;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 6225 Mars;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 5405 Atmospheres;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS;
- 5445 Meteorology;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS