Stormy water on Mars: The distribution and saturation of atmospheric water during the dusty season
Stormy water on Mars: The distribution and saturation of atmospheric water during the dusty season
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DOI：
10.1126/science.aay9522
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发表时间：
2020-01-17
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Wilson, Colin F.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fedorova, Anna A.;Montmessin, Franck;Wilson, Colin F.
水从火星流失到太空被认为是由于水被输送到上层大气，在那里它被分解成氢并逃离地球。最近的观测表明，大量快速的水季节性侵入高层大气，增加了氢的丰度。我们使用ExoMars微量气体轨道器上的大气化学套件来表征高度的水分布。2018 - 2019年南方春季和夏季风暴季节的水剖面显示，高海拔水优先供应接近近日点，即使有云也会发生过饱和。这意味着水从火星逃逸的可能性比以前认为的要高。
The loss of water from Mars to space is thought to result from the transport of water to the upper atmosphere, where it is dissociated to hydrogen and escapes the planet. Recent observations have suggested large, rapid seasonal intrusions of water into the upper atmosphere, boosting the hydrogen abundance. We use the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to characterize the water distribution by altitude. Water profiles during the 2018-2019 southern spring and summer stormy seasons show that high-altitude water is preferentially supplied close to perihelion, and supersaturation occurs even when clouds are present. This implies that the potential for water to escape from Mars is higher than previously thought.