SO2 Radiative Forcing on Late Noachian Mars

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Data recently returned from Mars suggest that sulfur may have played a significant role in the planet's evolution. We present results from a model for sulfur delivery to the Martian surface with a special focus on the radiative transfer implications of sulfur volatiles introduced to the late Noachian atmosphere during Tharsis loading. We obtain a high sulfur solubility in Martian mantle melts, approximately 1400 ppm, using the Gusev Crater basalt composition and a batch melting model. We specifically explore two modeled volumes, a lower bound of 1500 km3 and an upper bound of 60,000 km3, for lava rapidly emplaced by Tharsis-radial dikes to ascertain the potential magnitude of degassing pulses of SO2. With conservative model assumptions and a faint young Sun approximation (75% present-day luminosity), we investigate the additional atmospheric heating due to solar radiation associated with these SO2 influxes in both 50 mb and 500 mb CO2 background atmospheres using Mars-WRF, a three-dimensional GCM adapted for Martian conditions. Results indicate an additional 5-20 K greenhouse warming effect from SO2 absorption in wavelength windows complimentary to CO2, and localized conditions conducive to the presence of transient liquid water. It appears that potent, periodic warming events associated with volcanic degassing on early Mars may be an important factor in understanding both the prevalence of sulfates on the planet's surface today as well as the geologic evidence for near-surface liquid water or brine in the distant past.

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