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Effects of dust on the heating of Mars' surface and atmosphereAn analysis performed to determine the effect dust particles suspended in Mars' atmosphere have on the radiation reaching the surface both directly and scattered by the dust is described. Additionally, the fraction of incident sunlight directly absorbed by the atmospheric dust is computed. These calculations are done for ranges of dust opacity, incidence angle, surface albedo, and dust albedo, representative of the conditions on Mars. The effect of atmospheric dust on the Bond albedo is discussed. It is shown that direct heating of the atmosphere by dust absorption of solar radiation is adequate to explain Mars' south polar spring temperature inversion. Under most circumstances the presence of dust in Mars' atmosphere produces a lowering of the average surface temperature; this is probably the cause of the anomalously slow south polar cap retreat of 1977. Explicit forms for both the surface heating and the atmospheric heating as a function of the dust opacity, incidence angle, surface albedo and dust albedo are given.
Document ID
19800042208
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Davies, D. W.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
December 30, 1979
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 84
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
80A26378
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS7-100
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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