Water vapour in the middle atmosphere of Mars by SPICAM/MEX

Abstract

International audienceWhile the H 2 O column density in the Martianatmosphere is well known now and has beenmonitored by different missions for last decades thebehavior of water in the middle atmosphere, itsinterannual and seasonal variability, is still openedquestion due to an absent of observational material.We present here long-term observations of the H 2Overtical distribution in the Martian atmosphere bySPICAM on Mars-Express for a period of severalMartian years and study the seasonal and spatialvariations of the H 2O density and mixing ratio atdifferent altitudes as well as interannual variationsconnected to such special event as the 2007 globaldust storm