The evolution of the albedo of dark spots observed on Mars polar region

Martínez, G.; Rennó, N. O.; Elliott, Harvey

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.09.008

Cited by 25 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(109 reference statements)

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“…We show next that the formation of brines can indeed be reconciled with these low surface temperatures. Martinez et al (2012) show that the formation of brines is consistent with the low temperatures measured by TES and THEMIS when they form (≤180 K), if the spatial resolution and optical properties of the translucent CO 2 ice layer are considered. The resolution of TES is much coarser than the dimensions of the dark spots and FLF.…”

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuressupporting

confidence: 68%

“…As postulated by the gas venting model, shortwave solar radiation can efficiently penetrate the translucent CO 2 ice layer. Thus, both the underlying surface and the dark ejecta can reach temperatures much higher than those measured by TES and THEMIS (Martinez et al 2012). Also, subsurface melt water and ULI water can form in the shallow subsurface at temperatures as low as 180 K (see Sect.…”

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Martinez et al (2012) give thermodynamical evidence for the formation of liquid brine on large dark spots (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Alternative explanations involving dry processes, such as a second ejection of dark material or dust deposition, could also cause the observed behavior. However, Martinez et al (2012) show that these explanations are unlikely. Kereszturi et al (2009) suggest that ULI water may cause the growth of FLF shown in Fig.…”

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Water and Brines on Mars: Current Evidence and Implications for MSL

2013

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Liquid water is a basic ingredient for life as we know it. Therefore, in order to understand the habitability of other planets we must first understand the behavior of water on them. Mars is the most Earth-like planet in the solar system and it has large reservoirs of H 2 O. Here, we review the current evidence for pure liquid water and brines on Mars, and discuss their implications for future and current missions such as the Mars Science Laboratory.Neither liquid water nor liquid brines are currently stable on the surface of Mars, but they could be present temporarily in a few areas of the planet. Pure liquid water is unlikely to be present, even temporarily, on the surface of Mars because evaporation into the extremely dry atmosphere would inhibit the formation of the liquid phase, where the temperature and pressure are high enough so that water would neither freeze nor boil. The exception to this is that monolayers of liquid water, referred to as undercooled liquid interfacial water, could exist on most of the Martian surface. In a few places liquid brines could exist temporarily on the surface because they could form at cryogenic temperatures, near ice or frost deposits where sublimation could be inhibited by the presence of nearly saturated air.Both liquid water and liquid brines might exist in the shallow subsurface because even a thin layer of soil forms an effective barrier against sublimation allowing pure liquid water to form sporadically in a few places, or liquid brines to form over longer periods of time in large portions of the planet. At greater depths, ice deposits could melt where the soil conductivity is low enough to blanket the deeper subsurface effectively. This could cause the formation of aquifers if the deeper soil is sufficiently permeable and an impermeable layer exists below the source of water.The fact that liquid brines and groundwater are likely to exist on Mars has important implications for geochemistry, glaciology, mineralogy, weathering and the habitability of Mars.

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Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuressupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Martinez et al (2012) give thermodynamical evidence for the formation of liquid brine on large dark spots (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Dune Dark Spots and Flow-like Featuresmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Water and Brines on Mars: Current Evidence and Implications for MSL

2013

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“…In the polar regions, brine formation by the melting of ice in contact with salts is plausible because frost or snow are seasonally deposited on saline soils (Whiteway et al 2009;Martínez et al 2012), water ice is seasonally present in the shallow subsurface (Paige 1992;Mellon and Jakosky 1993;Schorghofer and Aharonson 2005;Cull et al 2010), and temperatures exceed the eutectic value of salts detected on Mars during a significant fraction of the sol (from minutes to hours depending on the location and time of the year) (Möhlmann 2011;Nuding et al 2014;. Moreover, numerical modeling and laboratory experiments indicate that brine formation by deliquescence in the polar region is theoretically possible because simulated diurnal cycles of RH and temperature at the ground at the PHX site are compatible with deliquescence of Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 and Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 salts (Möhlmann 2011;Nuding et al 2014;Nikolakakos and Whiteway 2015).…”

Section: Liquid Water and The H 2 O Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

The Modern Near-Surface Martian Climate: A Review of In-situ Meteorological Data from Viking to Curiosity

et al. 2017

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We analyze the complete set of in-situ meteorological data obtained from the Viking landers in the 1970s to today's Curiosity rover to review our understanding of the modern near-surface climate of Mars, with focus on the dust, CO 2 and H 2 O cycles and their impact on the radiative and thermodynamic conditions near the surface. In particular, we provide values of the highest confidence possible for atmospheric opacity, atmospheric pressure, near-surface air temperature, ground temperature, near-surface wind speed and direction, and near-surface air relative humidity and water vapor content. Then, we study the diurnal, seasonal and interannual variability of these quantities over a span of more thanThe original version of this article was revised because due to an unfortunate turn of events a wrong value was published in Table 1. The resolution of the PHX pressure sensor was published as "0.1 mbar" whereas this value has now been corrected to "0.1 Pa" which is the correct value and should be regarded as the final version by the reader. B G.M. Martínez

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Experimental evidence for the formation of liquid saline water on Mars

Fischer

Martínez

Elliott

et al. 2014

Geophysical Research Letters

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Evidence for deliquescence of perchlorate salts has been discovered in the Martian polar region while possible brine flows have been observed in the equatorial region. This appears to contradict the idea that bulk deliquescence is too slow to occur during the short periods of the Martian diurnal cycle during which conditions are favorable for it. We conduct laboratory experiments to study the formation of liquid brines at Mars environmental conditions. We find that when water vapor is the only source of water, bulk deliquescence of perchlorates is not rapid enough to occur during the short periods of the day during which the temperature is above the salts' eutectic value, and the humidity is above the salts' deliquescence value. However, when the salts are in contact with water ice, liquid brine forms in minutes, indicating that aqueous solutions could form temporarily where salts and ice coexist on the Martian surface and in the shallow subsurface.

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The evolution of the albedo of dark spots observed on Mars polar region

Cited by 25 publications

References 63 publications

Water and Brines on Mars: Current Evidence and Implications for MSL

Water and Brines on Mars: Current Evidence and Implications for MSL

The Modern Near-Surface Martian Climate: A Review of In-situ Meteorological Data from Viking to Curiosity

Experimental evidence for the formation of liquid saline water on Mars

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