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Liquid water on Mars - An energy balance climate model for CO2/H2O atmospheresA simple climatic model is developed for a Mars atmosphere containing CO2 and sufficient liquid water to account for the observed hydrologic surface features by the existence of a CO2/H2O greenhouse effect. A latitude-resolved climate model originally devised for terrestrial climate studies is applied to Martian conditions, with the difference between absorbed solar flux and emitted long-wave flux to space per unit area attributed to the divergence of the meridional heat flux and the poleward heat flux assumed to equal the atmospheric eddy heat flux. The global mean energy balance is calculated as a function of atmospheric pressure to assess the CO2/H2O greenhouse liquid water hypothesis, and some latitude-resolved cases are examined in detail in order to clarify the role of atmospheric transport and temperature-albedo feedback. It is shown that the combined CO2/H2O greenhouse at plausible early surface pressures may account for climates hot enough to support a hydrological cycle and running water at present-day insolation and visible albedo levels.
Document ID
19820029400
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Hoffert, M. I.
(New York Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Callegari, A. J.
(New York Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Hsieh, C. T.
(New York Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Ziegler, W.
(New York University New York, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1981
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Volume: 47
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
82A12935
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSG-7591
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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