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Stability of polar frosts in spherical bowl-shaped craters on the moon, Mercury, and MarsA model of spherical bowl-shaped craters is described and applied to the moon, Mercury, and Mars. The maximum temperature of permanently shadowed areas are calculated using estimates of the depth/diameter ratios of typical lunar bowl-shaped craters and assuming a saturated surface in which the craters are completely overlapping. For Mars, two cases are considered: water frost in radiative equilibrium and subliming CO2 frost in vapor equilibrium. Energy budgets and temperatures are used to determine whether a craterlike depression loses mass faster or slower than a flat horizontal surface. This reveals qualitatively whether the frost surface becomes rougher or smoother as it sublimes.
Document ID
19930034907
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Ingersoll, Andrew P.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Svitek, Tomas
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Murray, Bruce C.
(California Inst. of Technology Pasadena, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Volume: 100
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
93A18904
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-1956
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-1373
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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