Seasonal Vertical Water Vapor Distribution At The
Phoenix Landing Site
C. W.S. Leung, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech, Pasadena, Usa (Cecilia.Leung@Jpl.Nasa.Gov), L.
Tamppari, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech, Pasadena, Usa, D. Kass, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech,
Pasadena, Usa, M. Smith, Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Usa, G. Martínez, Lunar And
Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Usa, E. Fischer, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Usa.
Introduction:
The Objective Of This Study Is To Use A Combination Of Orbital And Surface Observations To Constrain
The Seasonal Vertical Water Vapor Distribution At The
Phoenix Mars Lander Location (68°N, 234°E) In The
Martian North Polar Region. The Water Cycle Is Key To
Understanding Mars’ Current And Past Climate, And
The Vertical Distribution Of Water Reflects The Complex
Interactions Involving Temperature Variations, Winds,
Cloud Microphysics, Convective And Turbulent Mixing, Regolith-Atmosphere Exchange, And Other Processes That Influence The Inventory Of Water. While
Remote Sensing Observations From Orbit Have Provided A Global, Multi-Year Interannual Climatology Of
Water Vapor Column Abundances In The Martian Atmosphere [1,2,3,4], No Such Extensive Climatology
Exists For The Vertical Distribution Of Water Vapor.
Furthermore, Orbital Assets Typically Have Difficulties
Observing The Bottom-Most Scale Height Due To Limited Path Transmission Resulting From Increased Dust