Martian dust storm impact on atmospheric H2O and D/H observed by ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Ann Carine Vandaele (), Oleg Korablev, Frank Daerden, Shohei Aoki, Ian R. Thomas, Francesca Altieri, Miguel López-Valverde, Geronimo Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Michael D. Smith, Justin T. Erwin, Loïc Trompet, Anna A. Fedorova, Franck Montmessin, Alexander Trokhimovskiy, Denis A. Belyaev, Nikolay I. Ignatiev, Mikhail Luginin, Kevin S. Olsen, Lucio Baggio, Juan Alday, Jean-Loup Bertaux, Daria Betsis, David Bolsée, R. Todd Clancy, Edward Cloutis, Cédric Depiesse, Bernd Funke, Maia Garcia-Comas, Jean-Claude Gérard, Marco Giuranna, Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo, Alexey V. Grigoriev, Yuriy S. Ivanov, Jacek Kaminski, Ozgur Karatekin, Franck Lefèvre, Stephen Lewis, Manuel López-Puertas, Arnaud Mahieux, Igor Maslov, Jon Mason, Michael J. Mumma, Lori Neary, Eddy Neefs, Andrey Patrakeev, Dmitry Patsaev, Bojan Ristic, Séverine Robert, Frédéric Schmidt, Alexey Shakun, Nicholas A. Teanby, Sébastien Viscardy, Yannick Willame, James Whiteway, Valérie Wilquet, Michael J. Wolff, Giancarlo Bellucci, Manish R. Patel, Jose-Juan López-Moreno, François Forget, Colin F. Wilson, Håkan Svedhem, Jorge L. Vago and Daniel Rodionov
Additional contact information
Ann Carine Vandaele: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Oleg Korablev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Frank Daerden: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Shohei Aoki: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Ian R. Thomas: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Francesca Altieri: Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS/INAF)
Miguel López-Valverde: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Geronimo Villanueva: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Giuliano Liuzzi: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael D. Smith: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Justin T. Erwin: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Loïc Trompet: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Anna A. Fedorova: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Franck Montmessin: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Alexander Trokhimovskiy: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Denis A. Belyaev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Nikolay I. Ignatiev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Mikhail Luginin: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Kevin S. Olsen: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Lucio Baggio: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Juan Alday: Oxford University
Jean-Loup Bertaux: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Daria Betsis: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
David Bolsée: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
R. Todd Clancy: Space Science Institute
Edward Cloutis: University of Winnipeg
Cédric Depiesse: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Bernd Funke: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Maia Garcia-Comas: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Jean-Claude Gérard: Laboratory for Planetary and Atmospheric Physics (LPAP), University of Liège
Marco Giuranna: Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS/INAF)
Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Alexey V. Grigoriev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Yuriy S. Ivanov: Main Astronomical Observatory (MAO), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Jacek Kaminski: Polish Academy of Sciences
Ozgur Karatekin: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Franck Lefèvre: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Stephen Lewis: The Open University
Manuel López-Puertas: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Arnaud Mahieux: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Igor Maslov: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Jon Mason: The Open University
Michael J. Mumma: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Lori Neary: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Eddy Neefs: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Andrey Patrakeev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Dmitry Patsaev: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Bojan Ristic: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Séverine Robert: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Frédéric Schmidt: Geosciences Paris Sud (GEOPS), Université Paris Sud
Alexey Shakun: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Nicholas A. Teanby: University of Bristol
Sébastien Viscardy: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Yannick Willame: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
James Whiteway: York University
Valérie Wilquet: Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA)
Michael J. Wolff: Space Science Institute
Giancarlo Bellucci: Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS/INAF)
Manish R. Patel: The Open University
Jose-Juan López-Moreno: Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucia (IAA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
François Forget: Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), CNRS Jussieu
Colin F. Wilson: Oxford University
Håkan Svedhem: European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA
Jorge L. Vago: European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA
Daniel Rodionov: Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)

Nature, 2019, vol. 568, issue 7753, 521-525

Abstract: Abstract Global dust storms on Mars are rare1,2 but can affect the Martian atmosphere for several months. They can cause changes in atmospheric dynamics and inflation of the atmosphere3, primarily owing to solar heating of the dust3. In turn, changes in atmospheric dynamics can affect the distribution of atmospheric water vapour, with potential implications for the atmospheric photochemistry and climate on Mars4. Recent observations of the water vapour abundance in the Martian atmosphere during dust storm conditions revealed a high-altitude increase in atmospheric water vapour that was more pronounced at high northern latitudes5,6, as well as a decrease in the water column at low latitudes7,8. Here we present concurrent, high-resolution measurements of dust, water and semiheavy water (HDO) at the onset of a global dust storm, obtained by the NOMAD and ACS instruments onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. We report the vertical distribution of the HDO/H2O ratio (D/H) from the planetary boundary layer up to an altitude of 80 kilometres. Our findings suggest that before the onset of the dust storm, HDO abundances were reduced to levels below detectability at altitudes above 40 kilometres. This decrease in HDO coincided with the presence of water-ice clouds. During the storm, an increase in the abundance of H2O and HDO was observed at altitudes between 40 and 80 kilometres. We propose that these increased abundances may be the result of warmer temperatures during the dust storm causing stronger atmospheric circulation and preventing ice cloud formation, which may confine water vapour to lower altitudes through gravitational fall and subsequent sublimation of ice crystals3. The observed changes in H2O and HDO abundance occurred within a few days during the development of the dust storm, suggesting a fast impact of dust storms on the Martian atmosphere.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1097-3

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