The Modern Near-Surface Martian Climate: A Review of In-situ Meteorological Data from Viking to Curiosity

2017/04/05 by G. M. Martínez, Germán Martínez, C. N. Newman +22 · 8 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Planetary Science and Exploration #Astro and Planetary Science #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life

paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11214-017-0360-x

Abstract

We analyze the complete set of in-situ meteorological data obtained from the Viking landers in the 1970s to today's Curiosity rover to review our understanding of the modern near-surface climate of Mars, with focus on the dust, CO 2 and H 2 O cycles and their impact on the radiative and thermodynamic conditions near the surface. In particular, we provide values of the highest confidence possible for atmospheric opacity, atmospheric pressure, near-surface air temperature, ground temperature, near-surface wind speed and direction, and near-surface air relative humidity and water vapor content. Then, we study the diurnal, seasonal and interannual variability of these quantities over a span of more than

Citations

• Martian water vapor: Mars Express PFS/LW observations
• Interannual variability in TES atmospheric observations of Mars during 1999–2003
• The effects of the martian regolith on GCM water cycle simulations
• The diurnal water cycle at Curiosity: Role of exchange with the regolith

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• Thermal expansion of römerite under low-temperature conditions
• Solar wind-driven day-to-day effects on the Martian\n thermosphere/exosphere composition
• Seasonal Ice Cover Could Allow Liquid Lakes to Persist in a Cold Mars Paleoclimate
• Collection and In Situ Analyses of Regolith Samples by the Mars 2020 Rover: Implications for Their Formation and Alteration History

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