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The Onset and Growth of the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm
Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Delcroix, M.; Hernández-Bernal, J. +1 more
We analyze the onset and initial expansion of the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm (GDS 2018) using ground-based images in the visual range. This is the first case of a confirmed GDS initiating in the Northern Hemisphere. A dusty area extending about 1.4×105 km2 and centered at latitude +31.7°±1.8° and west longitude 18°±5°W in…
The Effects of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure on the Structure of the Topside Ionosphere of Mars
Gurnett, D. A.; Morgan, D. D.; Kopf, A. J. +3 more
We use Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN observations of the upstream solar wind, and Mars Express observations of ionospheric electron densities and magnetic fields, to study how the topside ionosphere (>320 km) of Mars is affected by variations in solar wind dynamic pressure. We find that high solar wind dynamic pressures result in the t…
Do Deltas Along the Crustal Dichotomy Boundary of Mars in the Gale Crater Region Record a Northern Ocean?
Rivera-Hernández, Frances; Palucis, Marisa C.
Deltaic deposits mapped along the Martian crustal dichotomy boundary scarp have been suggested to delineate an ancient ocean in the northern lowlands of Mars. Using recently acquired orbital data, we have expanded the dichotomy delta inventory and performed an updated analysis of delta front elevations, a proxy for paleo-water levels. Our analysis…
The Effects of Crustal Magnetic Fields and Solar EUV Flux on Ionopause Formation at Mars
Gurnett, D. A.; Morgan, D. D.; Kopf, A. J. +5 more
We study the ionopause of Mars using a database of 6,893 ionopause detections obtained over 11 years by the MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) experiment. The ionopause, in this work, is defined as a steep density gradient that appears in MARSIS remote sounding ionograms as a horizontal line at frequencies below 0.…
The 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm Over the South Polar Region Studied With MEx/VMC
Hueso, R.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Titov, D. +6 more
We study the 2018 Martian global dust storm (GDS 2018) over the Southern Polar Region using images obtained by the Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) on board Mars Express (MEx) during June and July 2018. Dust penetrated into the polar cap region but never covered the cap completely, and its spatial distribution was nonhomogeneous and rapidly changing…
How Much of the Sediment in Gale Crater's Central Mound Was Fluvially Transported?
Fassett, Caleb I.; Thomson, Bradley J.; Buczkowski, Debra L. +2 more
The origin of the sedimentary mound within Gale crater, the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, remains enigmatic. Here we examine the total potential contribution of fluvial material by conducting a volume-based analysis. On the basis of these results, the mound can be divided into three zones: lower, intermediate, and u…