• Login
     
    View Item 
    •   ORFEO Home
    • Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
    • BIRA-IASB publications
    • View Item
    •   ORFEO Home
    • Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
    • BIRA-IASB publications
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Subvisible CO2 ice clouds detected in the mesosphere of Mars

    View/Open
    Montmessin(2006).pdf (581.9Kb)
    Authors
    Montmessin, F.
    Bertaux, J.-L.
    Quémerais, E.
    Korablev, O.
    Rannou, P.
    Forget, F.
    Perrier, S.
    Fussen, D.
    Lebonnois, S.
    Rébérac, A.
    Dimarellis, E.
    Show allShow less
    Discipline
    Physical sciences
    Audience
    Scientific
    Date
    2006
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Description
    The formation of CO2 ice clouds in the upper atmosphere of Mars has been suggested in the past on the basis of a few temperature profiles exhibiting portions colder than CO2 frost point. However, the corresponding clouds were never observed. In this paper, we discuss the detection of the highest clouds ever observed on Mars by the SPICAM ultraviolet spectrometer on board Mars Express spacecraft. Analyzing stellar occultations, we detected several mesospheric detached layers at about 100 km in the southern winter subtropical latitudes, and found that clouds formed where simultaneous temperature measurements indicated that CO2 was highly supersaturated and probably condensing. Further analysis of the spectra reveals a cloud opacity in the subvisible range and ice crystals smaller than 100 nm in radius. These layers are therefore similar in nature as the noctilucent clouds which appear on Earth in the polar mesosphere. We interpret these phenomena as CO2 ice clouds forming inside supersaturated pockets of air created by upward propagating thermal waves. This detection of clouds in such an ultrararefied and supercold atmosphere raises important questions about the martian middle-atmosphere dynamics and microphysics. In particular, the presence of condensates at such high altitudes begs the question of the origin of the condensation nuclei.
    Citation
    Montmessin, F.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Quémerais, E.; Korablev, O.; Rannou, P.; Forget, F.; Perrier, S.; Fussen, D.; Lebonnois, S.; Rébérac, A.; Dimarellis, E. (2006). Subvisible CO2 ice clouds detected in the mesosphere of Mars. , Icarus, Vol. 183, Issue 2, 403-410, DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2006.03.015.
    Identifiers
    uri: https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/4494
    doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.03.015
    scopus: 2-s2.0-33746047130
    Type
    Article
    Peer-Review
    Yes
    Language
    eng
    Links
    NewsHelpdeskBELSPO OA Policy

    Browse

    All of ORFEOCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesDisciplinesThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesDisciplines
     

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV