Phoenix and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Coordinated Atmospheric Science

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5405 Atmospheres (0343, 1060), 5445 Meteorology (3346), 5462 Polar Regions, 5464 Remote Sensing, 5494 Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

The Phoenix Mars lander (PHX) spacecraft and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have collaborated during the course of the Phoenix mission to simultaneously observe the same atmospheric column with a variety of instruments. PHX carries pressure and near-surface air temperature sensors, an upward-looking LIDAR that probes up to 20 km altitude, a wind telltale, a humidity sensor, and a multi-spectral camera that can be used to observe the atmosphere and obtains aerosol and water vapor amounts. MRO carries 4 instruments that we employ in our coordinated campaign. We use the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) which provides vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, aerosols, and water vapor and the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) which provides column abundances of atmospheric aerosols and water vapor. We also use the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) which provides very wide-angle, context views of the aerosols. Finally, we occasionally use the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera for examining frosts on the ground in concert with our other measurements. The coordinated campaign between the two spacecraft began shortly after PHX landed safely in the northern plains of Mars (68 N), in the Martian late springtime and continued for more than 3 months, into the PHX extended mission. The campaigns were structured to provide both diurnal and seasonal observations focussed on water vapor, water-ice clouds, and dust to gain insight into major outstanding questions: (a) what are the relative roles of the different reservoirs of water, (b) is there net water transport out of this region, (c) what is responsible for the internnual variability in the atmospheric aerosols, and (d) what is the relationship between the dust, water and CO2 cycles? The use of two spacecraft to examine the same atmospheric column allows cross-calibration of experiments. Additionally, MRO supplements PHX by providing context in the northern polar region. PHX supplements MRO by providing the detailed measurements near the surface and by providing a full set of information at multiple times of day. Full diurnal campaigns were acquired every 5-10 degrees L. This timeframe is of interest since the peak of the water cycle occurs near Ls=110 (early summer) and as summer progresses, water vapor rapidly declines, while dust and water-ice clouds increase. Initial results of these campaigns will be discussed.

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