The Sublimation Rate of CO2 Under Simulated Mars Conditions and the Possible Climatic Implications

Details The Sublimation Rate of CO2 Under Simulated Mars Conditions and the Possible Climatic Implications The Sublimation Rate of CO2 Under Simulated Mars Conditions and the Possible Climatic Implications

Sep 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.0306b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #3.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.390

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

In order to understand the behavior of CO2 on Mars, we have studied the sublimation of dry ice under simulated martian conditions. Our experiments resulted in an average sublimation rate for CO2 ice of 1.20 ± 0.27 mm h-1. These results are very close to those observed of the martian polar caps retreat, and suggest a common process for the sublimation mechanism on Mars and in our chamber. Based on these results we created a model where irradiance from the sun is the primary source of heat on the martian polar surface. Our model predicts a 32 cm offset between the amount of CO2 ice sublimated and deposited in the southern polar region. The eccentricity of the martian orbit causes the southern hemisphere to sublimate more then it deposits back during one martian year. We have compared MOC and HiRISE images from approximately the same season (Ls 285.57º and 289.5º, respectively) from three martian years apart. These images indicate an average sublimation rate of 0.43 ± 0.04 m y-1, very close to the 0.32 m y-1 predicted by our model. Due to the length of Mars’ precession cycle, 93,000 martian years, it will take an extensive amount of time for the equinoxes to change. Therefore, we predict that the CO2 of the south polar cap will migrate entirely to the northern polar cap before such changes could occur. If the CO2 ice is only a thin layer above a much thicker water ice layer, this could expose large amounts of water ice, having a drastic climactic affect.

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