Surface energy budget at Curiosity through observations and column modeling

Diurnal ground surface temperatures (T-g) and the five major terms of the surface energy budget (SEB) are dis-played from hourly Mars Science Laboratory observations and from column model simulations in four contrasting cases along the Curiosity traverse. T(g )and the SEB terms are otherwise well simulated on regolith near the landing spot and on rocky Pahrump Hills, but the residual in observation-based SEB (-downwelling longwave radiation) shows unexplained peaks in the morning and evening and simultaneously model-T(g )is too cold. Enhanced or diurnally variable crater dust does not help but diurnally variable soil thermal inertia (suggested by Fourier analysis of observed T-g) reduces both defects at both sites. Sand on the steep Namib dune is instead homogeneous, defects here being reduced by taking into account slope effects. Regolith at the 2018 dust storm site appears inhomogeneous, with the SEB terms and T(g )relatively well simulated even in this case of extremely heavy dust load.Peer reviewe

Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover

Mars’ atmosphere typically supports dust aerosol with an effective radius near 1.5 μm, varying from ~1 μm during low dust times near northern summer solstice to ~2 μm during higher dust times in southern spring and summer. After global dust events, size variations outside this range have not previously been observed. We report on imaging and spectral observations by the Curiosity rover through the 2018 global dust event. These observations show that the dust effective radius was seasonally normal prior to the local onset of increased opacity, increased rapidly above 4 μm with increasing opacity, remained above 3 μm over a period of ~50 Martian solar days, then returned to seasonal values before the opacity did so. This demonstrates lifting and regionalâ scale transport of a dust population ~3 times the size of typical dust aerosol.Plain Language SummaryDuring the global dust storm of 2018, the Curiosity rover measured the variation of atmospheric dust over time. During the onset of the dust storm, typical Martian dust was enhanced by much larger particles that were freshly lifted off the surface in distant storms and then carried to the rover site at Gale crater. The larger dust particles persisted for weeks, but fell out of the atmosphere faster than the typical dust as normal conditions were restored.Key PointsThe Curiosity rover observed dust aerosol size variations through the 2018 global dust eventThe average dust radius increased above 4 μm, more than double the largest sizes previously seen with Curiosity’s instrumentsThe observations demonstrate the lifting and regionalâ scale transport of dust significantly larger than typical dust aerosolPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151856/1/grl59493.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151856/2/grl59493_am.pd

The Mars Science Laboratory record of optical depth measurements via solar imaging

Acknowledgments We are grateful to the teams that developed, landed, and operated Curiosity on Mars, allowing for the present study. The research was conducted partly at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004). MTL was supported via sub-contract 18-1187 from Malin Space Science Systems, Inc. SDG was supported by the MSL Participating Scientist program. JMB was supported by MSL Participating Scientist Grant 80NSSC22K0657. AV-R was supported by the Comunidad de Madrid Project S2018/NMT-4291 (TEC2SPACE-CM). M-PZ was supported by grant PID2019-104205GB-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. JM-T was supported by UK Space Agency projects ST/W00190X/1 and ST/V00610X/1.Peer reviewedPostprin

Effects of the MY34/2018 Global Dust Storm as Measured by MSL REMS in Gale Crater

The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument is on board NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. REMS has been measuring surface pressure, air, and ground brightness temperature, relative humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) irradiance since MSL’s landing in 2012. In Mars Year (MY) 34 (2018) a global dust storm reached Gale Crater at Ls ~ 190°. REMS offers a unique opportunity to better understand the impact of a global dust storm on local environmental conditions, which complements previous observations by the Viking landers and Mars Exploration Rovers. All atmospheric variables measured by REMS are strongly affected albeit at different times. During the onset phase, the daily maximum UV radiation decreased by 90% between sols 2075 (opacity ~1) and 2085 (opacity ~8.5). The diurnal range in ground and air temperatures decreased by 35 and 56 K, respectively, with also a diurnal-average decrease of ~2 and 4 K respectively. The maximum relative humidity, which occurs right before sunrise, decreased to below 5%, compared with prestorm values of up to 29%, due to the warmer air temperatures at night, while the inferred water vapor abundance suggests an increase during the storm. Between sols 2085 and 2130, the typical nighttime stable inversion layer was absent near the surface as ground temperatures remained warmer than near-surface air temperatures. Finally, the frequency domain behavior of the diurnal pressure cycle shows a strong increase in the strength of the semidiurnal and terdiurnal modes peaking after the local opacity maximum, also suggesting differences in the dust abundance inside and outside Gale.Key PointsAtmospheric opacity over Gale Crater was increased by more than 8 times and disturbed all the atmospheric variables measured by REMSREMS data suggest that the nighttime near-surface atmosphere stability was reduced and its water abundance increased during the GDSThe semidiurnal mode peaked after the local opacity maximum, suggesting different dust abundance inside and outside GalePeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151294/1/jgre21177_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151294/2/jgre21177.pd

Meteorological predictions for Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site at Jezero crater

Correction to: Space Sci Rev (2020) 216:148 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00763-xPeer reviewe

The Mars Science Laboratory record of optical depth measurements via solar imaging

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has monitored the Martian environment in Gale crater since landing in 2012. This study reports the record of optical depth derived from visible and near-infrared images of the Sun. Aerosol optical depth, which is mostly due to dust but also includes ice, dominates the record, with gas optical depth too small to measure. The optical depth record includes the effects of regional dust storms and one planet-encircling dust event, showing the expected peaks during southern spring and summer and relatively lower and more stable optical depth in fall and winter. The measurements show that there is a seasonally varying diurnal change in dust load, with the optical depth peaking in the morning during southern spring and summer, correlated with thermotidal pressure changes. However, there was no systematic diurnal change during autumn and winter, except after one regional storm. There were indications that the dust was relatively enhanced at high altitudes during high-optical-depth periods and that high-altitude ice was significant during winter. The observations did not provide much information about particle size or composition, but they were consistent with a smaller particle size after aphelion (in southern winter). No scattering halos were seen in associated sky images, even when there was visual evidence of ice hazes or clouds, which suggests small or amorphous ice particles. Unexpectedly, the measurement campaign revealed that the cameras collected saltating sand in their sunshades 1.97 m above the surface. As a result, the measurement strategy had to be adjusted to avoid high-elevation imaging to avoid sand covering the optics

The Surface Energy Budget at Gale Crater During the First 2500 Sols of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

We use in situ environmental measurements by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission to obtain the surface energy budget (SEB) across Curiosity's traverse during the first 2500 sols of the mission. This includes values of the downwelling shortwave solar radiation, the upwelling solar radiation reflected by the surface, the downwelling longwave radiation from the atmosphere, the upwelling longwave radiation emitted by the surface, the sensible heat flux associated with turbulent motions, and the latent heat flux associated with water phase changes. We then analyze their temporal variation on different timescales and relate this to the mechanisms causing these variations. Through its Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, MSL allows for a more accurate determination of the SEB than its predecessors on Mars. Moreover, the unprecedented duration, cadence, and frequency of MSL environmental observations allow for analyses of the SEB from diurnal to interannual timescales. The results presented in this article can be used to evaluate the consistency with predictions from atmospheric numerical models, to validate aerosol radiative properties under a range of dust conditions, to understand the energy available for solar-powered missions, and to enable comparisons with measurements of the SEB by the Perseverance rover at Jezero crater.Peer reviewe

Seasonal Variations in Atmospheric Composition as Measured in Gale Crater, Mars

All MSL data used in this manuscript (REMS and SAM) are freely available on NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) Geosciences Node, from within 6 months after receipt on Earth (http://pds‐geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/). The mixing ratios developed and presented in this paper are available at a publicly available archive (dataverse.org: doi.org/10.7910/DVN/CVUOWW) as cited within the manuscript. The successful operation of the Curiosity rover and the SAM instrument on Mars is due to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of scientists, engineers, and managers over more than a decade. Essential contributions to the successful operation of SAM on Mars and the acquisition of SAM data were provided by the SAM development, operations, and test bed teams. The authors gratefully thank the SAM and MSL teams that have contributed in numerous ways to obtain the data that enabled this scientific work. We also thank NASA for the support of the development of SAM, SAM data analysis, and the continued support of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The contribution of F. Lefèvre was supported by the Programme National de Planétologie (PNP). R. Navarro‐Gonzalez acknowledges support from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PAPIIT IN111619). LPI is operated by USRA under a cooperative agreement with the Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We thank members of the SAM and larger MSL team for insightful discussions and support. In particular, we thank R. Becker and R. O. Pepin for careful review of data analysis and interpretation. We thank M. D. Smith for discussion of CRISM CO measurements. We thank A. Brunner, M. Johnson, and M. Lefavor for their development of customized data analysis tools used here and in other SAM publications.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mars Science Laboratory Observations of the 2018/Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover observations of the 2018/Mars year 34 global/planet-encircling dust storm represent the first in situ measurements of a global dust storm with dedicated meteorological sensors since the Viking Landers. The Mars Science Laboratory team planned and executed a science campaign lasting approximately 100 Martian sols to study the storm involving an enhanced cadence of environmental monitoring using the rover's meteorological sensors, cameras, and spectrometers. Mast Camera 880-nanometer optical depth reached 8.5, and Rover Environmental Monitoring Station measurements indicated a 97 percent reduction in incident total ultraviolet solar radiation at the surface, 30 degrees Kelvin reduction in diurnal range of air temperature, and an increase in the semidiurnal pressure tide amplitude to 40 pascals. No active dust-lifting sites were detected within Gale Crater, and global and local atmospheric dynamics were drastically altered during the storm. This work presents an overview of the mission's storm observations and initial results

Mars Science Laboratory Observations of the 2018/Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover observations of the 2018/Mars year 34 global/planetâ encircling dust storm represent the first in situ measurements of a global dust storm with dedicated meteorological sensors since the Viking Landers. The Mars Science Laboratory team planned and executed a science campaign lasting approximately 100 Martian sols to study the storm involving an enhanced cadence of environmental monitoring using the rover’s meteorological sensors, cameras, and spectrometers. Mast Camera 880â nm optical depth reached 8.5, and Rover Environmental Monitoring Station measurements indicated a 97% reduction in incident total ultraviolet solar radiation at the surface, 30K reduction in diurnal range of air temperature, and an increase in the semidiurnal pressure tide amplitude to 40 Pa. No active dustâ lifting sites were detected within Gale Crater, and global and local atmospheric dynamics were drastically altered during the storm. This work presents an overview of the mission’s storm observations and initial results.Plain Language SummaryThe 2018 Mars global dust storm was observed by six spacecraft in orbit and two rovers on the surface. This paper provides an overview and description of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover’s observations during the storm. For approximately 100 Martian days (sols), the rover conducted an enhanced cadence of environmental observations to study the storm. These are the first observations of a Martian global dust storm with meteorological sensors near the equator. Atmospheric opacity reached a peak of 8.5, attenuating ~97% of the total solar ultraviolet radiation at the surface. Most of the dust was sourced from outside Gale Crater, with no indications of dust lifting within the crater during the height of the storm. Meteorological conditions were substantially altered, with changes to the pressure, temperature, and humidity patterns. Dust devil activity ceased for several weeks due to the reduction in temperature contrast between the surface and atmosphere. There was no indication of unusual aeolian transport, suggesting Martian global dust storms are not a major cause of sand dune movement.Key PointsThe Curiosity rover conducted a dedicated science campaign to study the 2018 Mars global dust stormAtmospheric opacity reached a peak of 8.5, and horizontal visibility dropped to 2.7 kmMeteorological conditions in Gale Crater were substantially altered, with changes to the pressure, temperature, and humidity cyclesPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147828/1/grl58365_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147828/2/grl58365.pd