Water ice precipitating at the equator on Mars?

[exoscientist]

A link to the program for the upcoming Division of Planetary Sciences of the AAS meeting was given on the Unmannedspaceflight.com bbs:<br /><br />http://www.aas.org/publications/baas/v37n3/dps2005/dps2005block.html<br /><br /> I especially like this one:<br /><br />37th DPS Meeting, 4-9 September 2005<br />Session 24 Mars III<br />Oral, Tuesday, September 6, 2005, 2:00-3:50pm, Music Concert Hall <br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />[24.09] New evidence for recent climate control as the source of the equatorial water equivalent hydrogen regions on Mars.<br />S.M. Nelli, J.R. Murphy (NMSU), W.C. Feldman (LANL) <br /><br />The origin of the longitudinally confined equatorial water equivalent hydrogen (WEH) regions on Mars is disputed. Current arguments for their existence are: 1) recent ice age, 2) near-surface water table, 3) recent sublimation of the CO2 veneer of the south residual polar cap, and 4) in equilibrium with the current atmospheric conditions on Mars. The NASA Ames GCM is used to explore current Martian climate conditions as the source for the equatorial WEH-rich regions on Mars. There is a correlation between the simulated total annual deposition (but not accumulated) pattern of water ice and the equatorial WEH-rich regions on Mars. Model results indicate that local nighttime thermodynamics and thermal inertia/topography create bulk water ice <b>precipitation</b> regions over Arabia and Tharsis. Nighttime air in contact with the ground cools via radiation and conduction, <b>precipitating</b> water ice at locations where the local near-surface atmospheric temperature falls below the dew point. The highest topographic longitudes, coincident with the lowest surface thermal inertias, beget the lowest temperatures, resulting in a longitudinal wave two pattern of <b>water ice deposition</b> upon Arabia and Tharsis. These c <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Not to quible, but sounds more like frost or dew than 'rain'.<br /><br />Possible aquifers deep under surface of Mars are still pretty speculative? Or not? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[nexium]

If the temperature somewhere below the surface of Mars is between 32 f and 212 f there should be some liquid water, perhaps not much, but some. Why do we think the temperature is colder than 32 f, a mile below the surface? Neil

 

[vogon13]

Not sure where I got this idea, but if under Martian surface is cold enough, and ambient pressures high enough, is a CO2 'aquifer' (what ever thae word should be) possible?<br /><br />Would a H2O aquifer be possible if CO2 one existed? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>