Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Dec 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990a%26a...240..520l&link_type=abstract
Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 240, no. 2, Dec. 1990, p. 520-532.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
13
Ice Clouds, Mars Atmosphere, Astronomical Models, Astronomical Photography, Crystals, Polarimetry, Water Vapor
Scientific paper
Ice crystal clouds are markers of the areas where water vapor reaches condensation in the Martian atmosphere. Crystal veils are detected over the Martian surface by telescopic polarimetry. A survey involving 30 yr of observations covered repetitively the whole cycle of Martian seasons. Crystal atmospheric loading abundances were derived and seasonal variations were plotted over nine selected zones of the planetary disk. Comparison with the Viking MAWD water vapor column abundance measurements of 1976-78 displays a clear correlation for the northern hemisphere when the N-polar cap sublimation releases H2O in the atmosphere, and the effect must be a very repetitive cyclic seasonal event. Cirrus-like clouds which assemble around the southern area in winter to produce the S-polar hood disclose no such correlation with H2O abundance and are probably made mainly of CO2 dry ice crystals. The south polar cap sublimation period coincides often with dust storm occurrences in the southern hemisphere, which disturb the crystal clouds investigations in this time and area.
Dollfus Audouin
Ebisawa Shiro
Lee Pascal
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