Mapping the mesospheric CO2 clouds on Mars: MEx/OMEGA and MEx/HRSC observations and challenges for atmospheric models

This study presents the latest results on the mesospheric CO₂ clouds in the martian atmosphere based on observations by OMEGA and HRSC onboard Mars Express. We have mapped the mesospheric CO₂ clouds during nearly three martian years of OMEGA data yielding a cloud dataset of ∼60 occurrences. The global mapping shows that the equatorial clouds are mainly observed in a distinct longitudinal corridor, at seasons L_s = 0-60° and again at and after L_s = 90°. A recent observation shows that the equatorial CO₂ cloud season may start as early as at L_s = 330°. Three cases of mesospheric midlatitude autumn clouds have been observed. Two cloud shadow observations enabled the mapping of the cloud optical depth (τ = 0.01-0.6 with median values of 0.13-0.2 at λ = 1 μm) and the effective radii (mainly 1-3 μm with median values of 2.0-2.3 μm) of the cloud crystals. The HRSC dataset of 28 high-altitude cloud observations shows that the observed clouds reside mainly in the altitude range ∼60-85 km and their east-west speeds range from 15 to 107 m/s. Two clouds at southern midlatitudes were observed at an altitude range of 53-62 km. The speed of one of these southern midlatitude clouds was measured, and it exhibited west-east oriented speeds between 5 and 42 m/s. The seasonal and geographical distribution as well as the observed altitudes are mostly in line with previous work. The LMD Mars Global Climate Model shows that at the cloud altitude range (65-85 km) the temperatures exhibit significant daily variability (caused by the thermal tides) with the coldest temperatures towards the end of the afternoon. The GCM predicts the coldest temperatures of this altitude range and the season L_s = 0-30° in the longitudinal corridor where most of the cloud observations have been made. However, the model does not predict supersaturation, but the GCM-predicted winds are in fair agreement with the HRSC-measured cloud speeds. The clouds exhibit variable morphologies, but mainly cirrus-type, filamented clouds are observed (nearly all HRSC observations and most of OMEGA observations). In ∼15% of OMEGA observations, clumpy, round cloud structures are observed, but very few clouds in the HRSC dataset show similar morphology. These observations of clumpy, cumuliform-type clouds raise questions on the possibility of mesospheric convection on Mars, and we discuss this hypothesis based on Convective Available Potential Energy calculations.     

THEMIS-VIS observations of clouds in the martian mesosphere: Altitudes, wind speeds, and decameter-scale morphology

We present measurements of the altitude and eastward velocity component of mesospheric clouds in 35 imaging sequences acquired by the Mars Odyssey (ODY) spacecraft’s Thermal Emission Imaging System visible imaging subsystem (THEMIS-VIS). We measure altitude by using the parallax drift of high-altitude features, and the velocity by exploiting the time delay in the THEMIS-VIS imaging sequence.We observe two distinct classes of mesospheric clouds: equatorial mesospheric clouds observed between 0° and 180° L_s; and northern mid-latitude clouds observed only in twilight in the 200–300° L_s period. The equatorial mesospheric clouds are quite rare in the THEMIS-VIS data set. We have detected them in only five imaging sequences, out of a total of 2048 multi-band equatorial imaging sequences. All five fall between 20° south and 0° latitude, and between 260° and 295° east longitude. The mid-latitude mesospheric clouds are apparently much more common; for these we find 30 examples out of 210 northern winter mid-latitude twilight imaging sequences. The observed mid-latitude clouds are found, with only one exception, in the Acidalia region, but this is quite likely an artifact of the pattern of THEMIS-VIS image targeting. Comparing our THEMIS-VIS images with daily global maps generated from Mars Orbiter Camera Wide Angle (MOC-WA) images, we find some evidence that some mid-latitude mesospheric cloud features correspond to cloud features commonly observed by MOC-WA. Comparing the velocity of our mesospheric clouds with a GCM, we find good agreement for the northern mid-latitude class, but also find that the GCM fails to match the strong easterly winds measured for the equatorial clouds.Applying a simple radiative transfer model to some of the equatorial mesospheric clouds, we find good model fits in two different imaging sequences. By using the observed radiance contrast between cloud and cloud-free regions at multiple visible-band wavelengths, these fits simultaneously constrain the optical depths and particles sizes of the clouds. The particle sizes are constrained primarily by the relative contrasts at the available wavelengths, and are found to be quite different in the two imaging sequences: r_eff = 0.1 μm and r_eff = 1.5 μm. The optical depths (constrained by the absolute contrasts) are substantial: 0.22 and 0.5, respectively. These optical depths imply a mass density that greatly exceeds the saturated mass density of water vapor at mesospheric temperatures, and so the aerosol particles are probably composed mainly of CO₂ ice. Our simple radiative transfer model is not applicable to twilight, when the mid-latitude mesospheric clouds were observed, and so we leave the properties of these clouds as a question for further work.     

Multi-wavelength simulations of atmospheric radiation from Io with a 3-D spherical-shell backward Monte Carlo radiative transfer model

Conflicting observations regarding the dominance of either sublimation or volcanism as the source of the atmosphere on Io and disparate reports on the extent of its spatial distribution and the absolute column abundance invite the development of detailed computational models capable of improving our understanding of Io’s unique atmospheric structure and origin. Improving upon previous models, Walker et al. (Walker, A.C., Gratiy, S.L., Levin, D.A., Goldstein, D.B., Varghese, P.L., Trafton, L.M., Moore, C.H., Stewart, B. [2009]. Icarus) developed a fully 3-D global rarefied gas dynamics model of Io’s atmosphere including both sublimation and volcanic sources of SO₂ gas. The fidelity of the model is tested by simulating remote observations at selected wavelength bands and comparing them to the corresponding astronomical observations of Io’s atmosphere. The simulations are performed with a new 3-D spherical-shell radiative transfer code utilizing a backward Monte Carlo method. We present: (1) simulations of the mid-infrared disk-integrated spectra of Io’s sunlit hemisphere at 19 μm, obtained with TEXES during 2001-2004; (2) simulations of disk-resolved images at Lyman-α obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) during 1997-2001; and (3) disk-integrated simulations of emission line profiles in the millimeter wavelength range obtained with the IRAM-30 m telescope in October-November 1999. We found that the atmospheric model generally reproduces the longitudinal variation in band depth from the mid-infrared data; however, the best match is obtained when our simulation results are shifted ∼30° toward lower orbital longitudes. The simulations of Lyman-α images do not reproduce the mid-to-high latitude bright patches seen in the observations, suggesting that the model atmosphere sustains columns that are too high at those latitudes. The simulations of emission line profiles in the millimeter spectral region support the hypothesis that the atmospheric dynamics favorably explains the observed line widths, which are too wide to be formed by thermal Doppler broadening alone.     

基于构造分析的辽宁汤岗子地热系统概念模型研究

通过分析辽东地区深部和浅部构造特点,研究汤岗子地热田的成因,查明地热系统的储、盖、通、源,建立热水系统的概念模型：深部构造是地热发育的重要背景条件,在其影响下的浅部构造体系构成了基岩地区地下裂隙水的运移通道和赋存空间,深循环水在运移途中接受来自深部的热流加热形成热水,并在一定条件下出露地表形成温泉,同一个区域地下水流动系统可以发育多个热储,各个热储之间存在间接的能量和物质联系。     

云南孟连芒信金矿成因探讨

芒信金矿脉状、透镜状、串球状金矿体,赋存于石炭系碳酸盐岩破碎带中。以裂隙金、晶隙金、固溶金、吸附金状存在。经历沉积—变质—岩浆活动等阶段。     

云南昌宁文沧铜矿矿床特征及找矿思路

矿体产于平掌组变质绿片岩中,NW向F3断裂破碎带控矿。边缘向中央品位增高。研究构造延伸和矿源可扩大远景。     

云南武定荒箐铁铜多金属矿矿床成因

矿床产于断层破碎带中,受断层和地层层位控制,与迤纳厂矿床具有一定的相似性。铁矿为中低温热液裂隙充填型脉状矿床,而铜矿床应为沉积——变质型。     

云南巧家仓房沟铅锌矿矿床成矿模式

铅锌矿赋存于灯影组硅质条带白云岩中,局部产于筇竹寺组,脉状、透镜状,与峨眉山玄武岩喷发关系密切,属岩浆晚期热液成因。     

综合物探法在西邑铅锌矿外围预测靶区运用

西邑铅锌矿取得深部隐伏矿找矿的重大突破,为扩大找矿成果,在其外围有利成矿地段开展地质勘查工作.应用激电中梯、激电测深和EH4等综合物探方法预测找矿靶区,在深部隐伏矿勘查中能取得较好效果.     

德钦佛山托罗铅锌矿地质特征及成因分析

在对该区野外地质调查的基础上,本文对该铅锌矿化带的成矿构造背景、矿化体特征进行了初步分析与总结,认为该矿受区域构造断裂控制,矿床类型为中低温热液脉状铅锌多金属矿床.该区成矿地质条件优越,矿化体较多,矿体在走向和倾向延伸方向仍可有新突破,并有找到新矿体的可能.