Effect of atmospheric dust loading on martian albedo measurements

This work is devoted to the analysis of the variation of albedo measured by orbiting instruments with atmospheric opacity on Mars. The study has been conduced by analysing Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS-TES) data from martian regions with different surface albedo.In support of these data, synthetic spectra with different surface albedo and atmospheric opacities have been computed, so that a comparison has been performed. The synthetic spectra have been retrieved by using two different grain sizes for suspended dust (0.5 and 1.2 μm), allowing a comparison between the two models and the observations.Using the DCI, a parameter describing the quantity of dust deposited on the surface, the effectiveness of the single scattering approximation has been tested for low atmospheric opacity by analysing the quality of the linear fit up to different atmospheric opacity.For more opaque conditions two kinds of fits have been applied to the data, linear and second-order degree polynomial. In this case, we found that the polynomial fit better describes the observations.The analysis of these data made it possible to notice a peculiar trend, already reported by Christensen (1988), of the albedo over Syrtis Major after the occurrence of dust storms, but, differently from that work, now the study of DCI together with atmospheric opacity and albedo allowed us to robustly confirm the hypothesis made by Christensen.Finally, the comparison between observations and synthetic spectra computed with models with different particles grain sizes indicates that dust particles of 0.5 μm diameter are the most effective to change the aerosol atmospheric opacity on Mars.     

Alteration of five organic compounds by glow discharge plasma and UV light under simulated Mars conditions

The Viking missions to Mars failed to detect any organic material in regolith samples. Since then, several removal mechanisms of organic material have been proposed. Two of these proposed methods are removal due to exposure to plasmas created in dust devils and exposure to UV irradiation. The experiments presented here were performed to identify similarities between the two potential removal mechanisms and to identify any compounds produced from these mechanisms that would have been difficult for the Viking instruments to detect. Five organic compounds, phenanthrene, octadecane, octadecanoic acid, decanophenone and benzoic acid, were exposed to a glow discharge plasma created in simulated martian atmospheres as might be present in dust devils, and to UV irradiation similar to that found at the surface of Mars. Glow discharge exposure was carried out in a chamber with 6.9 mbar pressure of a Mars like gas composed mostly of carbon dioxide. The plasma was characterized using emission spectroscopy and found to contain cations and excited neutral species including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. UV irradiation experiments were performed in a Mars chamber which simulates the temperature, pressure, atmospheric composition, and UV fluence rates of equatorial Mars. The non-volatile residues left after each exposure were characterized by mass loss, infrared spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry. Oxidized, higher molecular weight versions of the parent compounds containing carbonyl, hydroxyl and alkenyl functional groups were identified. The presence of these oxidized compounds suggests that searches for organic material in soils on Mars use instrumentation suitable for detection of compounds which contain the above functional groups. Discussions of possible reaction mechanisms are given.     

Super-resolution of THEMIS thermal infrared data: Compositional relationships of surface units below the 100 meter scale on Mars

The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) has provided the highest spatial resolution (100 m/pixel) thermal infrared (TIR) data of the surface of Mars to date. These data have enabled the discovery of many small-scale compositional units and helped to better constrain surface processes operating at these scales. However, with higher-resolution visible (VIS) instruments revealing smaller-scale surficial differences, there exists a need to detect and map compositional variability using TIR data at scales below 100 m. Because it is unlikely there will be a higher-resolution TIR instrument sent to Mars in the near future, creative image processing techniques commonly classified under the umbrella of “super-resolution” can be employed to improve or enhance the spatial resolution of the THEMIS TIR data. These approaches typically integrate another higher-resolution dataset and can either be qualitative for visual appeal, quantitative for data accuracy, or some combination of both. The super-resolution approach presented here produces enhanced TIR images that are radiometrically accurate, but also visually appealing. For the technique to be successfully applied, multi- to hyper-spectral data from two different spectral regions are required (e.g., the THEMIS TIR and VIS datasets). The focus here is to introduce this new super-resolution methodology and demonstrate its ability using existing THEMIS IR and VIS data. The quartzofeldspathic deposit in northern Syrtis Major was selected because of the spectral variability detected using the original IR resolution data and to better constrain the relationship between the small-scale surface morphology and areal extent of the deposit as well as its formation process. Despite being associated with the central peaks of two craters, the results here show no positive correlation between the small rocky outcrops and the quartzofeldspathic unit. A gradational contact exists between the unit and basaltic sands within the intercrater eolian material. The super-resolution approach offers an alternative approach to traditional sub-pixel deconvolution identification and provides a higher-resolution IR dataset for thermophysical and spectral analysis on Mars.     

The initial responses of hot liquid water released under low atmospheric pressures: Experimental insights

Experiments have been performed to simulate the shallow ascent and surface release of water and brines under low atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure was treated as an independent variable and water temperature and vapor pressure were examined as a function of total pressure variation down to low pressures. The physical and thermal responses of water to reducing pressure were monitored with pressure transducers, temperature sensors and visible imaging. Data were obtained for pure water and for solutions with dissolved NaCl or CO₂. The experiments showed the pressure conditions under which the water remained liquid, underwent a rapid phase change to the gas state by boiling, and then solidified because of removal of latent heat. Liquid water is removed from phase equilibrium by decompression. Solid, liquid and gaseous water are present simultaneously, and not at the 611 Pa triple point, because dynamic interactions between the phases maintain unstable temperature gradients. After phase changes stop, the system reverts to equilibrium with its surroundings. Surface and shallow subsurface pressure conditions were simulated for Mars and the icy satellites of the outer Solar System. Freezing by evaporation in the absence of wind on Mars is shown to be unlikely for pure water at pressures greater than c. 670 Pa, and for saline solutions at pressures greater than c. 610 Pa. The physical nature of ice that forms depends on the salt content. Ice formed from saline water at pressures less than c. 610 Pa could be similar to terrestrial sea ice. Ice formed from pure water at pressures less than c. 100 Pa develops a low thermal conductivity and a ‘honeycomb’ structure created by sublimation. This ice could have a density as low as c. 450 kg m⁻³ and a thermal conductivity as low as 1.6 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, and is highly reflective, more akin to snow than the clear ice from which it grew. The physical properties of ice formed from either pure or saline water at low pressures will act to reduce the surface temperature, and hence rate of sublimation, thereby prolonging the lifespan of any liquid water beneath.     

Evaporation effects on the formation of martian gullies

In order to investigate the formation of martian gullies and the stability of fluids on Mars, we examined about 120 gully images. Twelve HiRISE images contained a sufficient number of Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) associated with the gullies to make the following measurements: overall gully length, length of the alcove, channel and apron, and we also measured the frequency of nearby TARs. Six of the 12 images examined showed a statistically significant negative correlation between overall gully length (alcove, channel and apron length) and TAR frequency. Previous experimental work from our group has shown that at temperatures below ∼200 K, evaporation rate increases by about an order of magnitude as wind speed increases from 0 to ∼15 m/s. Thus the negative correlations we observe between gully length and dune frequency can be explained by formation at temperatures below ∼200 K where wind speed/evaporation is a factor governing gully length. In these cases evaporation of the fluid carving the gully was a constraint on their dimensions. Cases where there is no correlation between gully length and TAR frequency, can be explained by formation at temperatures >200 K. The temperatures are consistent with Global Circulation Model and Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data for these latitudes. The temperatures suggested by these trends are consistent with the fluid responsible for gully formation being a strong brine, such as Fe₂(SO₄)₃ which has a eutectic temperature of ∼200 K. We also find that formation timescales for gullies are 10⁵-10⁶ years.     

Formation of an eroded lava channel within an Elysium Planitia impact crater: Distinguishing between a mechanical and thermal origin

A lava channel identified on the wall of an Elysium Planitia impact crater is investigated to identify the dominant erosion mechanism, mechanical vs. thermal, acting during channel formation. Observations of channel morphology are used to supplement analytical models of lava channel formation in order to calculate the duration of channel formation, the velocity of the lava flowing through the channel, and the erosion rate in each erosion regime considered. Results demonstrate that the channel observed in the Elysium Planitia impact crater formed primarily due to mechanical erosion. In a more general sense, results of this study suggest that lava channels can form primarily due to thermal erosion in the presence of more gradual slopes and more consolidated substrates whereas lava channels can form primarily due to mechanical erosion in the presence of more energetic flows on steeper slopes and more poorly consolidated substrates. Therefore, both erosion regimes must be considered when analyzing origins of eroded lava channels that cut through strata of different strengths.     

A new analysis of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations of Titan at 2 μm

We have performed an analysis of ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations of Titan at 2 μm. The data were acquired with the Nasmyth Adaptative Optics System Near-Infrared Imager and Spectrograph (NAOS/CONICA), on the 16th of January 2005, that is 2 days after the landing of the Huygens probe (Hirtzig et al., 2007). The data consist in 21 spectra taken along two diameters of Titan’s disk at wavelengths between 2.03 and 2.5 μm. This range covers a part of the 2 μm methane window and the adjacent band. The data received a preliminary analysis in a recent paper (Negrão et al., 2007), essentially focused on the surface albedo near Huygens landing site. In this work, we perform an in-depth analysis to retrieve information about several aspects: the latitude haze distribution in the stratosphere and in the low atmosphere, the latitudinal variation of the surface albedo and its spectral behaviour. Also, this analysis allowed us to make sensitivity tests on the influence of the scatterer profiles on the retrieved surface albedo and its spectral slope. The news analysis confirms that, as was the case with VIMS observations at the same epoch, the Northern (currently winter) Hemisphere contains more haze than the southern one (Summer Hemisphere). The sensitivity tests show that the scatterer profiles have just a little impact on the surface albedo and its spectral slope. The analysis seems to confirm the presence of H₂O and CH₄ ices.     

Preservation potential of implanted solar wind volatiles in lunar paleoregolith deposits buried by lava flows

The lunar surface is bathed in a variety of impacting particles originating from the solar wind, solar flares, and galactic cosmic rays. These particles can become embedded in the regolith and/or produce a range of other molecules as they pass through the target material. The Moon therefore contains a record of the variability of the solar and galactic particle fluxes through time. To obtain useful temporal snapshots of these processes, discrete regolith units must be shielded from continued bombardment that would rewrite the record over time. One mechanism for achieving this preservation is the burial of a regolith deposit by a later lava flow. The archival value of such deposits sandwiched between lava layers is enhanced by the fact that both the under- and over-lying lava can be dated by radiometric techniques, thereby precisely defining the age of the regolith layer and the geologic record contained therein. The implanted volatile species would be vulnerable to outgassing by the heat of the over-lying flow, at temperatures exceeding 300-700 °C. However, the insulating properties of the finely particulate regolith would restrict significant heating to shallow depths. We have therefore modeled the heat transfer between lunar mare basalt lavas and the regolith in order to establish the range of depths below which implanted volatiles would be preserved. We find that the full suite of solar wind volatiles, consisting predominantly of H and He, would survive at depths of ∼13-290 cm (for 1-10 m thick lava flows, respectively). A substantial amount of CO, CO₂, N₂ and Xe would be preserved at depths as shallow as 3.7 cm beneath meter-thick flows. Given typical regolith accumulation rates during mare volcanism, the optimal localities for collecting viable solar wind samples would involve stacks of thin mare lava flows emplaced a few tens to a few hundred Ma apart, in order for sufficient regolith to develop between burial events. Obtaining useful archives of Solar System processes would therefore require extraction of regolith deposits buried at quite shallow depths beneath radiometrically-dated mare lava flows. These results provide a basis for possible lunar exploration activities.     

A Hapke model implementation for compositional analysis of VNIR spectra of Mercury

An implementation of Hapke’s radiative transfer-based photometric model for light scattering in semi-transparent porous media is presented with special emphasis on the analysis of reflectance spectra of Mercury. The model allows intimate mixing of an arbitrary number of regolith components with varying modal abundances, modal chemistries and grain sizes, matured by microphase iron. Reflectance spectra of suites of silicates of varying grain sizes and chemistries are used to calculate the imaginary coefficient of the complex index of refraction as a function of chemistry, thus limiting the modeling effects of chemically atypical laboratory samples, and allowing controlled modeling of minerals with varying chemical compositions. The performance of the model in the visual to near-infrared wavelength range is evaluated for a range of chemically characterized silicate mixtures of terrestrial powders, meteorite powders, matured lunar return samples, and remotely sensed lunar spectra.     

Temporary liquid water in upper snow/ice sub-surfaces on Mars?

It is investigated whether conditions for melting can be temporarily created in the upper sub-surface parts of snow/ice-packs on Mars at subzero surface temperatures by means of the solid-state greenhouse effect, as occurs in snow- and ice-covered regions on Earth. The conditions for this possible temporary melting are quantitatively described for bolometric albedo values A = 0.8 and A = 0.2, and with model parameters typical for the thermo-physical conditions at snow/ice sites on the surface of present Mars. It is demonstrated by numerical modelling that there are several sets of parameters which will lead to development of layers of liquid water just below the top surface of snow- and ice-packs on Mars. This at least partial liquefaction occurs repetitively (e.g. diurnally, seasonally), and can in some cases lead to liquid water persisting through the night-time in the summer season. This liquid water can form in sufficient amounts to be relevant for macroscopic physical (rheology, erosion), for chemical, and eventually also for biological processes. The creation of temporary pockets of sub-surface water by this effect requires pre-existing snow or ice cover, and thus is more likely to take place at high latitudes, since the present deposits of snow/ice can mainly be found there. Possible rheologic and related erosion consequences of the appearance of liquid sub-surface water in martian snow/ice-packs are discussed in view of current observations of recent rheologic processes.