Water heavily fractionated as it ascends on Mars as revealed by ExoMars/NOMAD

Journal
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Villanueva, Geronimo L.
•
Liuzzi, Giuliano
•
Crismani, Matteo M. J.
•
Aoki, Shohei
•
Vandaele, Ann Carine
•
Daerden, Frank
•
Smith, Michael D.
•
Mumma, Michael J.
•
Knutsen, Elise W.
•
Neary, Lori
•
Viscardy, Sebastien
•
Thomas, Ian R.
•
Lopez-Valverde, Miguel Angel
•
Ristic, Bojan
•
Patel, Manish R.
•
Holmes, James A.
•
•
Lopez-Moreno, Jose Juan
DOI
Abstract
Isotopic ratios and, in particular, the water D/H ratio are powerful tracers of the evolution and transport of water on Mars. From measurements performed with ExoMars/NOMAD, we observe marked and rapid variability of the D/H along altitude on Mars and across the whole planet. The observations (from April 2018 to April 2019) sample a broad range of events on Mars, including a global dust storm, the evolution of water released from the southern polar cap during southern summer, the equinox phases, and a short but intense regional dust storm. In three instances, we observe water at very high altitudes (>80 km), the prime region where water is photodissociated and starts its escape to space. Rayleigh distillation appears the be the driving force affecting the D/H in many cases, yet in some instances, the exchange of water reservoirs with distinctive D/H could be responsible.
Volume
7
Issue
7
Start page
eabc8843
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
2375-2548
Ads BibCode
2021SciA....7.8843V
Rights
open.access
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