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A. Colaprete, R. M. Haberle (NASA Ames)
During the polar night in both hemispheres of Mars, regions of low thermal emission, frequently referred to as "cold spots", have been observed by Mariner 9, Viking and Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. These cold spots vary in time and appear to be associated with topographic features suggesting that they are the result of a spectral-emission effect due to surface accumulation of fine-grained frost or snow(1,2,3). Presented here are simulations of the Martian polar night using the NASA Ames General Circulation Cloud Model. This cloud model incorporates all the microphysical processes of carbon dioxide cloud formation, including nucleation, condensation and sedimentation and is coupled to a surface frost scheme that includes both direct surface condensation and precipitation. Simulation results are compared to observations from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) during both the northern and southern polar nights.
1.Kieffer et al., JGR, 105, 2000; 2.Titus et al. JGR, in press, 2001; 3.Forget, Icarus, 131, 1998
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: tonyc@freeze.arc.nasa.gov