Published February 14, 2003
| public
Journal Article
A Sublimation Model for Martian South Polar Ice Features
- Creators
- Byrne, Shane
-
Ingersoll, Andrew P.
Abstract
In their pioneering work, Leighton and Murray argued that the Mars atmosphere, which at present is 95% carbon dioxide, is controlled by vapor equilibrium with a much larger polar reservoir of solid carbon dioxide. Here we argue that the polar reservoir is small and cannot function as a long-term buffer to the more massive atmosphere. Our work is based on modeling of the circular depressions commonly found on the south polar cap. We argue that a carbon dioxide ice layer about 8 meters thick is being etched away to reveal water ice underneath. This is consistent with thermal infrared data from the Mars Odyssey mission.
Additional Information
© 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science. 5 November 2002; accepted 23 December 2002. We thank O. Aharonson, A. Albee, B. Murray, N. Schorghofer, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program and Mars Global Surveyor project for financial support.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 36619
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130128-104959594
- NASA
- Created
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2013-01-28Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences