Mapping Martian atmospheric pressure with ground-based near infrared spectroscopy

Sarah A. Chamberlain; Jeremy A. Bailey; David Crisp

doi:10.1071/AS05028

Mapping Martian atmospheric pressure with ground-based near infrared spectroscopy

Sarah A. Chamberlain^*, Jeremy A. Bailey, David Crisp

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present images of Mars obtained in the 2.0 μm CO₂ band with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The images reveal topographic features of the Martian surface that are usually invisible in direct albedo images at visible or IR wavelengths, but agree remarkably well with the topography of the planet as mapped by the MOLA instrument on Mars Global Surveyor. The CO₂ band depth is a measure of the absorbing column of CO₂ and hence determined primarily by the surface atmospheric pressure. The surface pressure variations are detected with a sensitivity of 4-5 Pa. We compare our data with radiative transfer models and find that the measured CO₂ variation with pressure is consistent with the models. We discuss the possibility that similar observations might be used to observe atmospheric pressure changes due to Martian weather systems.

Original language	English
Article number	AS05028
Pages (from-to)	119-124
Number of pages	6
Journal	Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Volume	23
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1071/AS05028
Publication status	Published - 2006

Keywords

Infrared: solar system
Planets and satellites: individual (Mars)
Techniques: spectroscopic

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10.1071/AS05028

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title = "Mapping Martian atmospheric pressure with ground-based near infrared spectroscopy",

abstract = "We present images of Mars obtained in the 2.0 μm CO2 band with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The images reveal topographic features of the Martian surface that are usually invisible in direct albedo images at visible or IR wavelengths, but agree remarkably well with the topography of the planet as mapped by the MOLA instrument on Mars Global Surveyor. The CO2 band depth is a measure of the absorbing column of CO2 and hence determined primarily by the surface atmospheric pressure. The surface pressure variations are detected with a sensitivity of 4-5 Pa. We compare our data with radiative transfer models and find that the measured CO2 variation with pressure is consistent with the models. We discuss the possibility that similar observations might be used to observe atmospheric pressure changes due to Martian weather systems.",

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T1 - Mapping Martian atmospheric pressure with ground-based near infrared spectroscopy

AU - Chamberlain, Sarah A.

AU - Bailey, Jeremy A.

AU - Crisp, David

PY - 2006

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AB - We present images of Mars obtained in the 2.0 μm CO2 band with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The images reveal topographic features of the Martian surface that are usually invisible in direct albedo images at visible or IR wavelengths, but agree remarkably well with the topography of the planet as mapped by the MOLA instrument on Mars Global Surveyor. The CO2 band depth is a measure of the absorbing column of CO2 and hence determined primarily by the surface atmospheric pressure. The surface pressure variations are detected with a sensitivity of 4-5 Pa. We compare our data with radiative transfer models and find that the measured CO2 variation with pressure is consistent with the models. We discuss the possibility that similar observations might be used to observe atmospheric pressure changes due to Martian weather systems.

KW - Infrared: solar system

KW - Planets and satellites: individual (Mars)

KW - Techniques: spectroscopic

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JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

SN - 1448-6083

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Mapping Martian atmospheric pressure with ground-based near infrared spectroscopy

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Keywords

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