Dust Lifting Through Surface Albedo Changes at Jezero Crater, Mars

Vicente‐Retortillo, Á.; Martínez, G.; Lemmon, M. T.; Hueso, R.; Johnson, J. R.; Sullivan, Robert; Newman, Claire; Sebastián, Eduardo; Toledo, Daniel; Apéstigue, Víctor; Arruego, Ignacio; Munguira, Asier; Sánchez‐Lavega, Agustín; Murdoch, Naomi; Gillier, Martin; Stott, Alexander; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Bertrand, Tanguy; Tamppari, L. K.; Juárez, Manuel de la Torre; Rodríguez‐Manfredi, J. A.

doi:10.1029/2022je007672

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…The coldest maximum surface temperature was observed with a phase lag of 3 sols with respect to the maximum atmospheric temperatures, indicating changes in the vertical dust distribution. Comparing temperature data with other studies of this dust storm from Perseverance data (Lemmon et al., 2022; Vicente‐Retortillo et al., 2022), we interpret the cooling of the surface and the warming of air temperatures as evidence of low altitude dust controlling atmospheric temperatures on the arrival of the storm. Near surface air temperatures measured by MEDA and previous missions that operated at tropical latitudes have a similar seasonal trend. Temperature differences are small when MEDA temperatures are compared with MPF and increase when compared with VL1, with mean air temperatures at Jezero being ∼6.5 K warmer than at the VL1 landing site over the same seasonal period.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…(2022) observed a reduction of low‐level dust on sol 316, and Vicente‐Retortillo et al. (2022) indicate that the largest sol‐to‐sol variation in surface albedo occurred between sols 315 and 316 with a decrease in albedo of 11%. These two works suggest a change in the vertical dust profile at Jezero in the evening of sol 315.…”

Section: Thermal Effects Of a Regional Dust Storm From Ls ∼ 153–156°mentioning

confidence: 96%

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Near Surface Atmospheric Temperatures at Jezero From Mars 2020 MEDA Measurements

et al. 2023

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The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer instrument on Mars 2020 has five Atmospheric Temperature Sensors at two altitudes (0.84 and 1.45 m) plus a Thermal InfraRed Sensor that measures temperatures on the surface and at ∼40 m. We analyze the measurements from these sensors to describe the evolution of temperatures in Jezero up to mission sol 400 (solar longitude LS = 13°–203°). The diurnal thermal cycle is characterized by a daytime convective period and a nocturnal stable atmosphere with a variable thermal inversion. We find a linear relationship between the daytime temperature fluctuations and the vertical thermal gradient with temperature fluctuations that peak at noon with typical values of 2.5 K at 1.45 m. In the late afternoon (∼17:00 Local True Solar Time), the atmosphere becomes vertically isothermal with vanishing fluctuations. We observe very small seasonal changes in air temperatures during the period analyzed. This is related to small changes in solar irradiation and dust opacity. However, we find significant changes in surface temperatures that are related to the variety of thermal inertias of the terrains explored along the traverse of Perseverance. These changes strongly influence the vertical thermal gradient, breaking the nighttime thermal inversion over terrains of high thermal inertia. We explore possible detections of atmospheric tides on near‐surface temperatures and we examine variations in temperatures over timescales of a few sols that could be indicative of atmospheric waves affecting near‐surface temperatures. We also discuss temperatures during a regional dust storm at LS = 153°–156° that simultaneously warmed the near surface atmosphere while cooling the surface.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Thermal Effects Of a Regional Dust Storm From Ls ∼ 153–156°mentioning

confidence: 96%

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Near Surface Atmospheric Temperatures at Jezero From Mars 2020 MEDA Measurements

et al. 2023

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“…Although this difference (25 SI units) is at the limit of the estimated uncertainty, TI values were repeatedly lower before the dust storm and repeatedly higher during and after. This suggests that the dust removal and sand transport which occurred on the FoV of TIRS during the dust storm (Vicente‐Retortillo et al., 2022) might explain this behavior, as terrain with less dust would present higher TI values. In future work, we plan to evaluate the thickness of the dust layer consistent with the decrease in TI , and whether that thickness is realistic given the dust budget at the surface of Jezero.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The reader is referred to Vicente‐Retortillo et al. (2022) for a detailed study of the decrease in albedo during the regional dust storm, which was found to be caused by dust removal and sand transport, and to Lemmon et al. (2022) for a detailed study of the environmental conditions during this storm.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Energy Budget, Albedo, and Thermal Inertia at Jezero Crater, Mars, as Observed From the Mars 2020 MEDA Instrument

et al. 2023

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The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on board Perseverance includes first-of-its-kind sensors measuring the incident and reflected solar flux, the downwelling atmospheric IR flux, and the upwelling IR flux emitted by the surface. We use these measurements for the first 350 sols of the Mars 2020 mission (L s ∼ 6°-174° in Martian Year 36) to determine the surface radiative budget on Mars and to calculate the broadband albedo (0.3-3 μm) as a function of the illumination and viewing geometry. Together with MEDA measurements of ground temperature, we calculate the thermal inertia for homogeneous terrains without the need for numerical thermal models. We found that (a) the observed downwelling atmospheric IR flux is significantly lower than the model predictions. This is likely caused by the strong diurnal variation in aerosol opacity measured by MEDA, which is not accounted for by numerical models. (b) The albedo presents a marked non-Lambertian behavior, with lowest values near noon and highest values corresponding to low phase angles (i.e., Sun behind the observer). (c) Thermal inertia values ranged between 180 (sand dune) and 605 (bedrock-dominated material) SI units. (d) Averages of albedo and thermal inertia (spatial resolution of ∼3-4 m 2 ) along Perseverance's traverse are in very good agreement with collocated retrievals of thermal inertia from Thermal Emission Imaging System (spatial resolution of 100 m per pixel) and of bolometric albedo in the 0.25-2.9 μm range from (spatial resolution of ∼300 km 2 ). The results presented here are important to validate model predictions and provide ground-truth to orbital measurements. Plain Language SummaryWe analyzed first-of-its-kind measurements from the weather station on board NASA's Perseverance rover. These include the incident solar radiation and the amount that is reflected by the surface, as well as the thermal atmospheric forcing (greenhouse effect) and the thermal heat released by the surface. These measurements comprise the radiant energy budget, which is fundamental to understanding Mars' weather through its impact on temperatures. From the solar measurements, we obtained the surface reflectance for a variety of illuminating and viewing geometries. We found that the thermal atmospheric forcing is weaker than expected from models, likely because of the strong diurnal variation in atmospheric aerosols observed by the rover, which is not accounted for by models. We also found that the surface reflectance is not uniform from all directions, but that it decreases when the Sun is highest in the sky (near noon) and increases when the Sun is directly behind the observer (sunset and sunrise), and thus the shadows cast by their roughness elements (e.g., pores and pits) are minimized. Because models neither consider diurnal variations in atmospheric aerosols nor in the surface reflectance, the results presented here are important to validate model predictions for future human exploration. MARTÍNEZ ET AL.

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Insights into Martian bedform migration: Results from Gale, Jezero and Pasteur craters

Sahu,

Mandal,

Banerjee

et al. 2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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An attempt is made in this study to advance the understanding of the sand movement on Mars by studying the bedform migration at Gale, Jezero and Pasteur craters. The study on the grain size distribution at Gale Crater using Curiosity rover (MAHLI and APXS) observations reveals that the grains with smaller diameters (~50–150 μ) are more prone to migration and vice‐versa, which gives an idea of the necessary requirements that initiate bedform migration. The chemical analysis of the surface materials at the Gale crater revealed elevated concentrations of P2O5, SO3, Cl and Zn in soil compared to sand and active transportation processes for sand but not soil. The comprehensive chemical makeup of the Martian soil (inactive bedforms) and sand (active bedforms) is characterized by its basaltic nature, with enriched volatile elements such as sulphur, chlorine and zinc, and the presence of minerals like plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine due to the cohesive nature of inactive bedforms. Physical weathering and wind flow velocity play a pivotal role in the formation of different sedimentary bodies, impacting grain size distribution and mineralogy. The effect of dust‐lifting on surface features is studied by analysing Perseverance‐MEDA observations at the Jezero crater to understand the short‐term changes in the bedform. These events are found to involve the redistribution of only a small amount of materials and, thereby, changing surface features on Mars over a short period. To detect the bedform migration in the Pasteur crater, several HiRISE images acquired over different time intervals were used. The changes in the ripple crest (~0.29–1.18 m/Earth year) and dune slip face suggest new grain flow events. In the Pasteur crater, extensive changes in sand deposits near the dunes signify a widespread bedform migration. The stronger north‐westerly and north‐easterly winds dominate these changes. Thus, the bedform migration in the three tropical craters exhibits significant variability driven by localized aeolian processes. This variability is crucial for understanding Mars' geological history, current surface dynamics and eventually, helps in planning future missions.

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Dust Lifting Through Surface Albedo Changes at Jezero Crater, Mars

Abstract: The Martian atmosphere interacts with the surface, redistributing dust and sand particles (Kahre et al., 2017). Small particles are lifted by convective vortices and by strong wind gusts, and are subsequently transported before settling again (

Cited by 12 publications

References 73 publications

Near Surface Atmospheric Temperatures at Jezero From Mars 2020 MEDA Measurements

Near Surface Atmospheric Temperatures at Jezero From Mars 2020 MEDA Measurements

Surface Energy Budget, Albedo, and Thermal Inertia at Jezero Crater, Mars, as Observed From the Mars 2020 MEDA Instrument

Insights into Martian bedform migration: Results from Gale, Jezero and Pasteur craters

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