Dept. of Geophysics Colloquium: Carbon Dioxide Ice on Mars – Past and Present

Zoom: https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/86769967727?pwd=25OfJE7Na6lWggNsBNRbl7H8bnW56x.1

Abstract:

Mars is a frozen desert world, with a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide (CO2). Extreme temperature and pressure conditions lead to condensation and sublimation of CO2 at the poles on seasonal and astronomical time scales, forming exotic phenomena such as seasonal CO2 snow, dust geysers that erupt from under translucent CO2 slabs and flowing CO2 glaciers that carve landscapes. Research on the subject dates to telescopic observations starting in the 18th century and was dramatically accelerated by spacecraft exploration and advanced computational abilities in recent decades. Still, many outstanding questions regarding the role of CO2 ice in the surface and atmospheric dynamics remain. I will review the history and current knowledge of CO2 ice on Mars, focusing on the seasonal cycle. I will present my work on the temporal evolution of CO2 and particularly its albedo, using Mars Climate Sounder spectroscopic data, exploring mechanisms that might give rise to the enigmatic variations. Finally, I will present my recent work using a global climate model to simulate the paleo-CO2 cycle under varying orbital conditions over the past tens of millions of years, and the connection to subsurface water ice migration.

Event Organizer: Dr. Lior Rubanenko