Other
Scientific paper
Aug 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000mpse.conf...76h&link_type=abstract
International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, p. 76
Other
Mars Surface, Mars (Planet), Mars Atmosphere, Crystals, Ice, Polar Caps, Water Vapor, Hydrology, Antarctic Regions, Carbon Dioxide, Frost, Snow, Experimentation
Scientific paper
Mass balance of ice caps depends on accumulation and ablation processes. Accumulation processes at the Mars North Ice Cap can be speculated on based on information on the accumulation process in the inland area of the Antarctic Ice Sheet of the Earth. Higuchi proposed three accumulation processes in such area, namely: (1) direct sublimation of water vapor on the surface as frost crystals, (2) snowfall on the surface through formation of ice crystals in the atmosphere as snow crystals, and (3) sublimation of water vapor on drifting snow crystals near the surface. Relating to the processes of (1) and (2), Higuchi emphasized the effect of radiative cooling of the ice crystals on their formation and growth processes. On the other hand, Isono et al. studied growth process of ice crystals in carbon dioxide gas and other gases through laboratory experiments. Kobayashi studied the characteristics of snow crystals produced at low pressure in the chamber. Komabayashi studied shape instabilities in ice crystals, carbon dioxide, and ammonia grown in a cold chamber. Watanabe and Takeda made experimental studies on formation of ice crystals and carbon dioxide at low temperatures and low pressures. On the basis of the results obtained by the studies as mentioned above, accumulation process at the Mars North Ice cap is considered. In the general case of snowfall on the Earth, the latent heat of sublimation of water vapor on the surface of ice crystals is transferred by the heat conduction of surrounding air. But the latent heat is transferred also by radiative cooling of ice crystals, and so ice crystals can grow under lower supersaturation of water vapor than the case without radiative cooling. In the case of carbon dioxide atmosphere of the Mars, such an effect is much more predominant than in the atmosphere of the Earth, since the diffusion process of water vapor through the gas is much more rapid because lower atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, we can expect that radiative cooling of dust particles in the Martian atmosphere will contribute to nucleation of ice crystals and carbon dioxide on them, especially during the polar night. In conclusion, it can be said that formation of ice and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and surface of Mars North Ice Cap would occur even under condition of extremely low content of water vapor in the atmosphere. According to the experimental results, the shapes of the ice and carbon dioxide formed in the Martian atmosphere and at the surface of North Ice Cap are not as complicated as the dendritic type of snow crystals on Earth. They can be considered as simple type as solid column, similar to the column type of snow crystals in the atmosphere of the Earth. It is difficult to estimate particle size of crystals of ice and carbon dioxide covering the surface of Mars North Ice Cap, but their size could be in the order of microns to millimeters, since the color of its surface is white.
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