ALBERT

Description: Measurements of ozone retrieved from satellite instruments over the 1979-1991 period are compared. The instruments used are the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS), the solar backscattered ultraviolet experiment (SBUV), and stratospheric aerosol and gas experiments (SAGE) I and II. Although there is good agreement between the absolute densities of ozone as measured by the various instruments, the long-term changes (1979-1990) disagree sharply as a function of pressure and in the integrated ozone amount. In the upper stratosphere, SBUV trends are negative with maximum values of about -1.5%/year at high latitudes. Combined SAGE I and II trends are slightly positive in this region and peak near 0.5%/year at equatorial latitudes. In the lower stratosphere, SBUV trends reflect small decreases in ozone, generally less than -0.4%/year except at high southern latitudes where the trends rearch values of approximately -1.5%/year. SAGE ozone trends exhibit large decreases particularly in the equatorial regions where decreases of 3-6%/year are seen at pressures between 60 and 90 mbar. At higher latitudes, SAGE trends are more comparable to SBUV trends in the lower stratosphere. Total ozone trends from TOMS and SBUV agree within their uncertainties. Near-zero trends are indicated at low latitudes, and larger, negative trends (approximately -0.5%/year) are indicated near the poles. The SAGE column ozone trends depend upon the base level altitude of integration but do not exhibit a strong latitude dependence.

Description: The Thermal Emission Spectrometer spectra of low albedo surface materials suggests that a four to one mixture of pyroxene to plagioclase, together with about a 35 percent dust component provides the best fit to the spectrum. Qualitative upper limits can be placed on the concentration of carbonates (〈10 percent), olivine (〈10 percent), clay minerals (〈20 percent), and quartz (〈5 percent) in the limited regions observed. Limb observations in the northern hemisphere reveal low-lying dust hazes and detached water-ice clouds at altitudes up to 55 kilometers. At an aerocentric longitude of 224 degrees a major dust storm developed in the Noachis Terra region. The south polar cap retreat was similar to that observed by Viking.

Description: The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will conduct a comprehensive series of investigations of the Martian surface and atmosphere. The investigations will be accomplished using an instrument design that provides high spatial and spectral resolutions, extended wave- length range, and ability to gimbal through a range of orientations. Baseline investigations include a near-global survey to find high science priority sites, full- resolution measurement of thousands of such sites, and tracking of seasonal variations in atmospheric and surface properties.

Description: Ozone measurements made by the SME UV Spectrometer and the Stratosphere Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) spectometer are compared at 1.0 mbar for the time period from October 1984 to December 1986, using a model of the diurnal variation of ozone to correct for the difference in local times of the two measurements. The absolute values of the ozone mixing ratio measured by the two spectrometers were found to agree to better than 5 percent, with no significant divergence between the instruments. It is concluded that, since the SAGE II data are not dependent on the absolute calibration of the instrument, these data can be used as time-dependent 'ground truth' measurements for comparisons with other instruments.

Description: Results obtained from simple models for the long-term change in ozone and its seasonal amplitude as a function of atmospheric pressure in the region from 3.0-0.1 mbar are compared with ozone measurements obtained with the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument (SBUV). The SBUV data show secular trends in ozone which are negative and larger than the largest model trends by a factor of two or more. It is suggested that temperature-correlated variations in photochemistry should be included in the model.

Description: Data on monthly ozone abundance trends near the stratopause, observed by the Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) on the SME and by the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument (SBUV) on NIMBUS-7 are presented for June, September, and January of the years 1982-1986. Globally averaged trends determined from the SME data (-0.5 + or - 1.3 percent/yr) were found to fall within model calculations by Rusch and Clancy (1988); the SBUV trends, on the other hand, were found to exceed maximum predicted ozone decreases by a factor of 3 or more. Detailed comparison of the two data sets indicated that an absolute offset of 3 percent/yr accounts for much of the difference between the two trends; the offset is considered to be due to incomplete characterization of the SBUV calibration drift. Both the UVS and SBUV data exhibited similar seasonal and latitudinal variations in ozone trends, which were reproduced by photochemical model calculations that included latitude-dependent NMC temperature trends over the 1982-1986 period.

Description: The results of research with two distinctly separate sets of observations yield new information on the optical properties of particulate scatterers in the Mars atmosphere, and on the interannual variability of the abundance of such scatterers in the Mars atmosphere. The first set of observations were taken by the IRTM (Infrared Thermal Mapper) instrument onboard the Viking Orbiters, during the period 1976 to 1980. Several hundred emission phase function (EPF) sequences were obtained over the Viking mission, in which the IRTM visual brightness channel observed the same area of surface/atmosphere as the spacecraft passed overhead. The 1 to 2 percent accuracy of calibration and the phase-angle coverage that characterizes these data make them ideally suited to determining both the optical depths and optical properties of dust and cloud scatterers in the Mars atmosphere versus latitude, longitude, seasons (L sub s), and surface elevation over the extended period of Viking observations. The EPF data were analyzed with a multiple scattering radiative transfer code to determine dust single scattering albedos which are distinctly higher than indicated by the Viking Lander observations. The second set of observations regard ground-based observations of the 1.3 to 2.6 mm rotational transitions of CO in the Martian atmosphere. The low-to-mid latitude average of the atmospheric temperature profile (0 to 70 km altitude) were derived from a number of such observations over the 1980 to 1990 period.

Description: The Mariner 9 and Viking missions provided abundant evidence that eolian processes are active over much of the surface of Mars. Past studies have demonstrated that variations in regional albedo and wind streak patterns are indicative of sediment transport through a region, while thermal inertia data (derived from the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper (IRTM) datasets) are indicative of the degree of surface mantling by dust deposits. We are making use of the method developed by T. Z. Martin to determine dust opacity from IRTM thermal observations. We have developed a radiative transfer model that allows corrections for the effects of atmospheric dust loading on observations of surface albedo to be made. This approach to determining 'dust-corrected surface albedo' incorporates the atmospheric dust opacity, the single-scattering albedo and particle phase function of atmospheric dust, the bidirectional reflectance of the surface, and accounts for variable lighting and viewing geometry.

Description: We have modified a doubling-and-adding code to reanalyze the Mariner 9 IRIS spectra of Mars atmospheric dust as well as Viking IRTM EPF sequences in the 7, 9, and 20 micron channels. The code is capable of accurate emission/ absorption/scattering radiative transfer calculations over the 5-30 micron wavelength region for variable dust composition and particle size inputs, and incorporates both the Viking IRTM channel weightings and the Mariner 9 IRIS wavelength resolution for direct comparisons to these datasets. We adopt atmospheric temperature profiles according to the algorithm of Martin (1986) in the case of the Viking IRTM comparisons, and obtained Mariner 9 IRIS temperature retrievals from the 15 micron CO2 band for the case of the IRIS comparisons. We consider palagonite as the primary alternative to the montmorillonite composition of Mars atmospheric dust, based on several considerations. Palagonite absorbs in the ultraviolet and visible wavelength region due to its Fe content. Palagonite is also, in principal, consistent with the observed lack of clays on the Mars surface. Furthermore, palagonite does not display strong, structured absorption near 20 microns as does montmorillonite (in conflict with the IRIS observations). We propose that a palagonite composition with particle sizes roughly one-half that of the Toon et al. (1977) determination provide a much improved model to Mars atmospheric dust. Since palagonite is a common weathering product of terrrestrial basalts, it would not be unreasonable for palagonite to be a major surface component for Mars. The lack of even a minor component of Al-rich clays on the surface of Mars could be consistent with a palagonite composition for Mars dust if the conditions for basalt weathering on Mars were sufficiently anhydrous. Variations in palagonite composition could also lead to the inability of the modeled palagonite to fit the details of the 9 micron absorbtion indicated by the IRIS observations.

Description: We have developed a radiative transfer model which allows the effects of atmospheric dust loading on surface albedo to be investigated. This model incorporates atmospheric dust opacity, the single scattering albedo and particle phase function of atmospheric dust, the bidirectional reflectance of the surface, and variable lighting and viewing geometry. The most recent dust particle properties are utilized. The spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric opacity (Tan) strongly influences the radiative transfer modelling results. We are currently using the approach described to determine Tan for IRTM mapping sequences of selected regions. This approach allows Tan to be determined at the highest spatial and temporal resolution supported by the IRTM data. Applying the radiative transfer modelling and determination of Tan described, IRTM visual brightness observations can be corrected for the effects of atmospheric dust loading a variety of locations and times. This approach allows maps of 'dust-corrected surface albedo' to be constructed for selected regions. Information on the variability of surface albedo and the amount of dust deposition/erosion related to such variability results. To date, this study indicates that atmospheric dust loading has a significant effect on observations of surface albedo, amounting to albedo corrections of as much as several tens of percent. This correction is not constant or linear, but depends upon surface albedo, viewing and lighting geometry, the dust and surface phase functions, and the atmospheric opacity. It is clear that the quantitative study of surface albedo, especially where small variations in observed albedo are important (such as photometric analyses), needs to account for the effects of the atmospheric dust loading. Maps of 'dust-corrected surface albedo' will be presented for a number of regions.