Global Variations in Water Vapor and Saturation State Throughout the Mars Year 34 Dusty Season.

ABSTRACT: To understand the evolving martian water cycle, a global perspective of the combined vertical and horizontal distribution of water is needed in relation to supersaturation and water loss and how it varies spatially and temporally. The global vertical water vapor distribution is investigated through an analysis that unifies water, temperature and dust retrievals from several instruments on multiple spacecraft throughout Mars Year (MY) 34 with a global circulation model. During the dusty season of MY 34, northern polar latitudes are largely absent of water vapor below 20 km with variations above this altitude due to transport from mid-latitudes during a global dust storm, the downwelling branch of circulation during perihelion season and the intense MY 34 southern summer regional dust storm.

SUBMITTER: Holmes JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9788072 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature