The Present and Past Climates of Planet Mars
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The Mystery of Methane on Mars and Titan
The Mystery of Methane on Mars & Titan By Sushil K. Atreya MARS has long been thought of as a possible abode of life. The discovery of methane in its atmosphere has rekindled those visions. The visible face of Mars looks nearly static, apart from a few wispy clouds (white). But the methane hints at a beehive of biological or geochemical activity underground. Of all the planets in the solar system other than Earth, own way, revealing either that we are not alone in the universe Mars has arguably the greatest potential for life, either extinct or that both Mars and Titan harbor large underground bodies or extant. It resembles Earth in so many ways: its formation of water together with unexpected levels of geochemical activ- process, its early climate history, its reservoirs of water, its vol- ity. Understanding the origin and fate of methane on these bod- canoes and other geologic processes. Microorganisms would fit ies will provide crucial clues to the processes that shape the right in. Another planetary body, Saturn’s largest moon Titan, formation, evolution and habitability of terrestrial worlds in also routinely comes up in discussions of extraterrestrial biology. this solar system and possibly in others. In its primordial past, Titan possessed conditions conducive to Methane (CH4) is abundant on the giant planets—Jupiter, the formation of molecular precursors of life, and some scientists Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—where it was the product of chem- believe it may have been alive then and might even be alive now. ical processing of primordial solar nebula material. On Earth, To add intrigue to these possibilities, astronomers studying though, methane is special. -
Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – a Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration
Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration Report by the NASA Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group (MASWG) November 2020 Front Cover: Artist Concepts Top (Artist concepts, left to right): Early Mars1; Molecules in Space2; Astronaut and Rover on Mars1; Exo-Planet System1. Bottom: Pillinger Point, Endeavour Crater, as imaged by the Opportunity rover1. Credits: 1NASA; 2Discovery Magazine Citation: Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group (MASWG), Jakosky, B. M., et al. (2020). Mars, the Nearest Habitable World—A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration. MASWG Members • Bruce Jakosky, University of Colorado (chair) • Richard Zurek, Mars Program Office, JPL (co-chair) • Shane Byrne, University of Arizona • Wendy Calvin, University of Nevada, Reno • Shannon Curry, University of California, Berkeley • Bethany Ehlmann, California Institute of Technology • Jennifer Eigenbrode, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center • Tori Hoehler, NASA/Ames Research Center • Briony Horgan, Purdue University • Scott Hubbard, Stanford University • Tom McCollom, University of Colorado • John Mustard, Brown University • Nathaniel Putzig, Planetary Science Institute • Michelle Rucker, NASA/JSC • Michael Wolff, Space Science Institute • Robin Wordsworth, Harvard University Ex Officio • Michael Meyer, NASA Headquarters ii Mars, the Nearest Habitable World October 2020 MASWG Table of Contents Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... -
Mid-Latitude Ice on Mars: a Science Target for Planetary Climate Histories and an Exploration Target for in Situ Resources
Mid-Latitude Ice on Mars: A Science Target for Planetary Climate Histories and an Exploration Target for In Situ Resources A White Paper submitted to the Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey 2023–2032 Primary Contact: Ali M. Bramson, Purdue University ([email protected]) Authors: Ali M. Bramson1,2 John (Jack) W. Holt2 Eric I. Petersen2,12 Chimira Andres3 Suniti Karunatillake8 Nathaniel E. Putzig6 Jonathan Bapst4 Aditya Khuller9 Hanna G. Sizemore6 Patricio Becerra5 Michael T. Mellon10 Isaac B. Smith6,13 Samuel W. Courville6 Gareth A. Morgan6 David E. Stillman14 Colin M. Dundas7 Rachel W. Obbard11 Paul Wooster15 Shannon M. Hibbard3 Matthew R. Perry6 1Purdue University, 2University of Arizona, 3University of Western Ontario CA, 4Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 5University of Bern CH, 6Planetary Science Institute, 7U.S. Geological Survey, 8Louisiana State University, 9Arizona State University, 10Cornell University, 11SETI Institute, 12University of Alaska Fairbanks, 13York University, 14Southwest Research Institute, 15SpaceX Signatories: Ken Herkenhoff, U.S. Geological Survey Alfred McEwen, U. of Arizona David M. Hollibaugh Baker, NASA GSFC Wendy Calvin, U. of Nevada Reno Stefano Nerozzi, U. of Arizona Nicolas Thomas, U. of Bern, CH Serina Diniega, NASA JPL Paul Hayne, U. of Colorado Boulder Jeffrey Plaut, NASA JPL/Caltech Kim Seelos, JHU/APL Charity Phillips-Lander, SwRI Shane Byrne, U. of Arizona Cynthia Dinwiddie, SwRI Devanshu Jha, MVJ College of Eng., IN Aymeric Spiga, LMD/Sorbonne Université, FR Michael S. Veto, Ball Aerospace Andreas Johnsson, U. of Gothenburg, SE Matthew Chojnacki, PSI Michael Mischna, NASA JPL/Caltech Jacob Widmer, Representing Self Adrian J. Brown, Plancius Research, LLC Carol Stoker, NASA Ames Noora Alsaeed, CU Boulder, LASP Alberto G. -
Atmospheric Dust on Mars: a Review
47th International Conference on Environmental Systems ICES-2017-175 16-20 July 2017, Charleston, South Carolina Atmospheric Dust on Mars: A Review François Forget1 Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD/IPSL), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, PSL Research University, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Paris, France Luca Montabone2 Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD/IPSL), Paris, France & Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO, USA The Martian environment is characterized by airborne mineral dust extending between the surface and up to 80 km altitude. This dust plays a key role in the climate system and in the atmospheric variability. It is a significant issue for any system on the surface. The atmospheric dust content is highly variable in space and time. In the past 20 years, many investigations have been conducted to better understand the characteristics of the dust particles, their distribution and their variability. However, many unknowns remain. The occurrence of local, regional and global-scale dust storms are better documented and modeled, but they remain very difficult to predict. The vertical distribution of dust, characterized by detached layers exhibiting large diurnal and seasonal variations, remains quite enigmatic and very poorly modeled. Nomenclature Ls = Solar Longitude (°) MY = Martian year reff = Effective radius τ = Dust optical depth (or dust opacity) CDOD = Column Dust Optical Depth (i.e. τ integrated over the atmospheric column) IR = Infrared LDL = Low Dust Loading (season) HDL = High Dust Loading (season) MGS = Mars Global Surveyor (NASA spacecraft) MRO = Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA spacecraft) MEX = Mars Express (ESA spacecraft) TES = Thermal Emission Spectrometer (instrument aboard MGS) THEMIS = Thermal Emission Imaging System (instrument aboard NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft) MCS = Mars Climate Sounder (instrument aboard MRO) PDS = Planetary Data System (NASA data archive) EDL = Entry, Descending, and Landing GCM = Global Climate Model I. -
Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Solar Radiation at Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity Landing Sites
Seasonal and interannual variability of solar radiation at Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity landing sites Álvaro VICENTE-RETORTILLO1, Mark T. LEMMON2, Germán M. MARTÍNEZ3, Francisco VALERO4, Luis VÁZQUEZ5, Mª Luisa MARTÍN6 1Departamento de Física de la Tierra, Astronomía y Astrofísica II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, [email protected]. 2Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, [email protected]. 3Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, [email protected]. 4Departamento de Física de la Tierra, Astronomía y Astrofísica II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, [email protected]. 5Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, [email protected]. 6Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Universidad de Valladolid, Segovia, Spain, [email protected]. Received: 14/04/2016 Accepted: 22/09/2016 Abstract In this article we characterize the radiative environment at the landing sites of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) missions. We use opacity values obtained at the surface from direct imaging of the Sun and our radiative transfer model COMIMART to analyze the seasonal and interannual variability of the daily irradiation at the MER and MSL landing sites. In addition, we analyze the behavior of the direct and diffuse components of the solar radiation at these landing sites. Key words: Solar radiation; Mars Exploration Rovers; Mars Science Laboratory; opacity, dust; radiative transfer model; Mars exploration. Variabilidad estacional e interanual de la radiación solar en las coordenadas de aterrizaje de Spirit, Opportunity y Curiosity Resumen El presente artículo está dedicado a la caracterización del entorno radiativo en los lugares de aterrizaje de las misiones de la NASA de Mars Exploration Rover (MER) y de Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). -
Planetary Science
Mission Directorate: Science Theme: Planetary Science Theme Overview Planetary Science is a grand human enterprise that seeks to discover the nature and origin of the celestial bodies among which we live, and to explore whether life exists beyond Earth. The scientific imperative for Planetary Science, the quest to understand our origins, is universal. How did we get here? Are we alone? What does the future hold? These overarching questions lead to more focused, fundamental science questions about our solar system: How did the Sun's family of planets, satellites, and minor bodies originate and evolve? What are the characteristics of the solar system that lead to habitable environments? How and where could life begin and evolve in the solar system? What are the characteristics of small bodies and planetary environments and what potential hazards or resources do they hold? To address these science questions, NASA relies on various flight missions, research and analysis (R&A) and technology development. There are seven programs within the Planetary Science Theme: R&A, Lunar Quest, Discovery, New Frontiers, Mars Exploration, Outer Planets, and Technology. R&A supports two operating missions with international partners (Rosetta and Hayabusa), as well as sample curation, data archiving, dissemination and analysis, and Near Earth Object Observations. The Lunar Quest Program consists of small robotic spacecraft missions, Missions of Opportunity, Lunar Science Institute, and R&A. Discovery has two spacecraft in prime mission operations (MESSENGER and Dawn), an instrument operating on an ESA Mars Express mission (ASPERA-3), a mission in its development phase (GRAIL), three Missions of Opportunities (M3, Strofio, and LaRa), and three investigations using re-purposed spacecraft: EPOCh and DIXI hosted on the Deep Impact spacecraft and NExT hosted on the Stardust spacecraft. -
FROM WET PLANET to RED PLANET Current and Future Exploration Is Shaping Our Understanding of How the Climate of Mars Changed
FROM WET PLANET TO RED PLANET Current and future exploration is shaping our understanding of how the climate of Mars changed. Joel Davis deciphers the planet’s ancient, drying climate 14 DECEMBER 2020 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2020 | 15 FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST t has been an exciting year for Mars exploration. 2020 saw three spacecraft launches to the Red Planet, each by diff erent space agencies—NASA, the Chinese INational Space Administration, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency. NASA’s latest rover, Perseverance, is the fi rst step in a decade-long campaign for the eventual return of samples from Mars, which has the potential to truly transform our understanding of the still scientifi cally elusive Red Planet. On this side of the Atlantic, UK, European and Russian scientists are also getting ready for the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos Rosalind Franklin rover mission in 2022. The last 20 years have been a golden era for Mars exploration, with ever increasing amounts of data being returned from a variety of landed and orbital spacecraft. Such data help planetary geologists like me to unravel the complicated yet fascinating history of our celestial neighbour. As planetary geologists, we can apply our understanding of Earth to decipher the geological history of Mars, which is key to guiding future exploration. But why is planetary exploration so focused on Mars in particular? Until recently, the mantra of Mars exploration has been to follow the water, which has played an important role in shaping the surface of Mars. -
Meyer, Michael Mars Exploration and Mars Sample Return
Michael Meyer Lead Scientist Planetary Science Decadal Survey Mars Exploration & Mars Sample Return Panel on Mars, Nov 2, 2020 1 Why Mars? Mars is a habitable planet and has the potential to answer fundamental questions about our Solar System • The potential for life • A geological record of the first billion years of planetary evolution • A drastically changing climate through time • A compelling target for Human Exploration Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group Goals Human Life Climate Geology Exploration I. Determine if Mars ever supported life III. Understand II. Understand the origin and I. Determine if IV. Prepare for the processes evolution of Mars ever human and history of Mars as a supported, or exploration climate on Mars geological still supports life system Life I. Determine if Mars A. Search for evidence of life in environments that have a high potential for habitability and preservation of biosignatures. ever supported, or B. Assess the extent of abiotic organic chemical evolution. still supports, life. Climate II. Understand the A. Characterize the state and controlling processes of the present-day climate of Mars under the current orbital configuration. processes and B. Characterize the history and controlling processes of Mars’ climate in the recent past, history of climate under different orbital configurations. on Mars. C. Characterize Mars’ ancient climate and underlying processes. Geology III. Understand the A. Document the geologic record preserved in the crust and investigate the processes that have created and modified that record. origin and evolution B. Determine the structure, composition, and dynamics of the interior and how it has of Mars as a evolved. -
The Nakhlite Meteorites: Augite-Rich Igneous Rocks from Mars ARTICLE
ARTICLE IN PRESS Chemie der Erde 65 (2005) 203–270 www.elsevier.de/chemer INVITED REVIEW The nakhlite meteorites: Augite-rich igneous rocks from Mars Allan H. Treiman Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058-1113, USA Received 22 October 2004; accepted 18 January 2005 Abstract The seven nakhlite meteorites are augite-rich igneous rocks that formed in flows or shallow intrusions of basaltic magma on Mars. They consist of euhedral to subhedral crystals of augite and olivine (to 1 cm long) in fine-grained mesostases. The augite crystals have homogeneous cores of Mg0 ¼ 63% and rims that are normally zoned to iron enrichment. The core–rim zoning is cut by iron-enriched zones along fractures and is replaced locally by ferroan low-Ca pyroxene. The core compositions of the olivines vary inversely with the steepness of their rim zoning – sharp rim zoning goes with the most magnesian cores (Mg0 ¼ 42%), homogeneous olivines are the most ferroan. The olivine and augite crystals contain multiphase inclusions representing trapped magma. Among the olivine and augite crystals is mesostasis, composed principally of plagioclase and/or glass, with euhedra of titanomagnetite and many minor minerals. Olivine and mesostasis glass are partially replaced by veinlets and patches of iddingsite, a mixture of smectite clays, iron oxy-hydroxides and carbonate minerals. In the mesostasis are rare patches of a salt alteration assemblage: halite, siderite, and anhydrite/ gypsum. The nakhlites are little shocked, but have been affected chemically and biologically by their residence on Earth. Differences among the chemical compositions of the nakhlites can be ascribed mostly to different proportions of augite, olivine, and mesostasis. -
Reviewing Martian Atmospheric Noble Gas Measurements: from Martian Meteorites to Mars Missions
geosciences Review Reviewing Martian Atmospheric Noble Gas Measurements: From Martian Meteorites to Mars Missions Thomas Smith 1,* , P. M. Ranjith 1, Huaiyu He 1,2,3,* and Rixiang Zhu 1,2,3 1 State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beitucheng Western Road, Box 9825, Beijing 100029, China; [email protected] (P.M.R.); [email protected] (R.Z.) 2 Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China 3 College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (T.S.); [email protected] (H.H.) Received: 10 September 2020; Accepted: 4 November 2020; Published: 6 November 2020 Abstract: Martian meteorites are the only samples from Mars available for extensive studies in laboratories on Earth. Among the various unresolved science questions, the question of the Martian atmospheric composition, distribution, and evolution over geological time still is of high concern for the scientific community. Recent successful space missions to Mars have particularly strengthened our understanding of the loss of the primary Martian atmosphere. Noble gases are commonly used in geochemistry and cosmochemistry as tools to better unravel the properties or exchange mechanisms associated with different isotopic reservoirs in the Earth or in different planetary bodies. The relatively low abundance and chemical inertness of noble gases enable their distributions and, consequently, transfer mechanisms to be determined. In this review, we first summarize the various in situ and laboratory techniques on Mars and in Martian meteorites, respectively, for measuring noble gas abundances and isotopic ratios. -
GANGOTRI Mission Concept on the Glacial Key to the Amazonian Climate of Mars
GANGOTRI mission concept on the glacial key to the Amazonian climate of Mars Coordinating authors: Suniti Karunatillake (legal last name: Walimuni Devage), Louisiana State University1 Ali Bramson, Purdue University Kris Zacny, Honeybee Robotics Colin Dundas, U.S. Geological Survey Lujendra Ojha, Rutgers University Corresponding author email address: [email protected] Endorsing: Science authors: 7 Paul Mahaffy Oded Aharonson, Planetary Science Institute Huiming Bao1 Eran Vos, Weizmann institute of science, Israel Jonathan Bapst5 Donald R. Hood, Texas A&M Deanne Rogers, Stony Brook University Joseph Levy, Colgate University Peter Doran1 Kathleen Mandt, JHU APL2 Jack Wilson2 Emily B. Hughes1, Wesleyan University Heidi Fuqua-Haviland, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center3 Jeff Moersch, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Scott M. Perl, Jet Propulsion Laboratory5 Dewan Mohammad Enamul Haque1, University of Dhaka J.R. Skok, SETI Institute Harish, Physical Research Laboratory, India4 Vijayan S.4 Anil Bhardwaj4 Brent Christner, University of Florida Hanna Sizemore, Planetary Science Institute Akos Kereszturi, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungary Norbert Schorghofer, Planetary Science Institute Kurt Retherford, South West Research Institute Paul Niles Johnson Space Center Technology development authors: , Juan Lorenzo1 Katherine Mesick, Los Alamos National Laboratory6 Heather Franz, Goddard Space Flight Center7 Jose Rodriguez-Manfredi, Centro de Astrobiologia INTA-CSIC, Spain Daniel Coupland6 Nathan Bramall, Leiden Measurement Technology Peter Bertone3 Cover Images: Harish et al. (2020) 10.1029/2020GL089057, excerpts copyright approved by Geophys. Res. Lett. on 08/04/2020 GANGOTRI mission concept Motivation and overview. The wealth of geologic information bound in Martian ice, including climate cycles, potential biomarkers, atmospheric particulates, and sources of H2O that may drive alteration within the critical zone (CZ: zone of interaction between the atmosphere and the porous upper crust) has long been recognized. -
The Case for Rainfall on a Warm, Wet Early Mars Robert A
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 107, NO. E11, 5111, doi:10.1029/2001JE001505, 2002 The case for rainfall on a warm, wet early Mars Robert A. Craddock Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA Alan D. Howard Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Received 11 April 2001; revised 10 April 2002; accepted 10 June 2002; published 23 November 2002. [1] Valley networks provide compelling evidence that past geologic processes on Mars were different than those seen today. The generally accepted paradigm is that these features formed from groundwater circulation, which may have been driven by differential heating induced by magmatic intrusions, impact melt, or a higher primordial heat flux. Although such mechanisms may not require climatic conditions any different than today’s, they fail to explain the large amount of recharge necessary for maintaining valley network systems, the spatial patterns of erosion, or how water became initially situated in the Martian regolith. In addition, there are no clear surface manifestations of any geothermal systems (e.g., mineral deposits or phreatic explosion craters). Finally, these models do not explain the style and amount of crater degradation. To the contrary, analyses of degraded crater morphometry indicate modification occurred from creep induced by rain splash combined with surface runoff and erosion; the former process appears to have continued late into Martian history. A critical analysis of the morphology and drainage density of valley networks based on Mars Global Surveyor data shows that these features are, in fact, entirely consistent with rainfall and surface runoff.