Publication Date:
2013-08-31
Description:
Quantitative analysis of Viking images of the martian planetary limb has uncovered the existence and temporal behavior of water ice clouds that form between 50 and 90 km elevation. These clouds show a seasonal behavior that may be correlated with lower atmosphere dynamics. Enhanced vertical mixing of the atmosphere as Mars nears perihelion is hypothesized as the cause of the seasonal dependence, and the diurnal dependence is explained by the temporal behavior of the martian diurnal thermal tide. Viking images also provide a data set of the vertical distribution of aerosols in the martian atmosphere. The temporal and spatial distribution of aerosols are characterized.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
Lunar and Planetary Inst., MECA Workshop on Atmospheric H2O Observations of Earth and Mars. Physical Processes, Measurements and Interpretations; p 58-61
Format:
application/pdf
