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Coupling the Mars Dust and Water Cycles: Investigating the Role of Clouds in Controlling the Vertical Distribution of Dust During N. H. SummerThe dust cycle is critically important for the current climate of Mars. The radiative effects of dust impact the thermal and dynamical state of the atmosphere (Gierasch and Goody, 1968; Haberle et al., 1982; Zurek et al., 1992). Although dust is present in the Martian atmosphere throughout the year, the level of dustiness varies with season. The atmosphere is generally the dustiest during northern fall and winter and the least dusty during northern spring and summer (Smith, 2004). Dust particles are lifted into the atmosphere by dust storms that range in size from meters to thousands of kilometers across (Cantor et al., 2001). During some years, regional storms combine to produce hemispheric or planet encircling dust clouds that obscure the surface and raise atmospheric temperatures by as much as 40 K (Smith et al., 2002). Key recent observations of the vertical distribution of dust indicate that elevated layers of dust exist in the tropics and sub-tropics throughout much of the year (Heavens et al., 2011). These observations have brought particular focus on the processes that control the vertical distribution of dust in the Martian atmosphere. The goal of this work is to further our understanding of how clouds in particular control the vertical distribution of dust, particularly during N. H. spring and summer
Document ID
20140011423
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kahre, M. A. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Haberle, R. M. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Hollingsworth, J. L. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Wilson, R. J. (Princeton Univ. NJ, United States)
Date Acquired
September 8, 2014
Publication Date
January 13, 2014
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN12518
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Workshop on Mars Atmosphere: Modeling and Observations
Location: Oxford
Country: United Kingdom
Start Date: January 13, 2014
End Date: January 16, 2014
Sponsors: European Space Agency
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 811073.02.04.03.77
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Mars dust
atmospheric temperatures
radiative effect

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