Back to Search Start Over

The State and Future of Mars Polar Science and Exploration

The State and Future of Mars Polar Science and Exploration

Authors :
Bruce C. Murray
François Forget
Stephen M. Clifford
Erik W. Blake
William D. Harrison
Dorthe Dahl-Jensen
David D. Wynn-Williams
Aaron P. Zent
S. E. Wood
John F. Nye
Kenneth Lepper
James W. Rice
Daniel J. McCleese
James A. Cutts
K. E. Herkenhoff
Andrew P. Ingersoll
Fraser P. Fanale
Bruce G. Bills
Robert M. Haberle
William B. Durham
Peter C. Thomas
Benton C. Clark
Suzanne E. Smrekar
Ralph P. Harvey
David E. Smith
Jack D. Farmer
Michael H. Carr
Ellen Mosley-Thompson
R. Grard
Kumiko Gotto-Azuma
Jonathan Cameron
Philip R. Christensen
Philip B. James
David A. Paige
Stephen R. Platt
Kenneth L. Tanaka
Hugh H. Kieffer
Jeffrey S. Kargel
H. Jay Zwally
Gary D. Clow
Wendy M. Calvin
David A. Fisher
Alan D. Howard
Carol R. Stoker
J. J. Plaut
Niels Reeh
David Crisp
Jeffrey R. Barnes
Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson
Maria T. Zuber
Janus Larsen
Richard W. Zurek
Michael C. Malin
Source :
Icarus. 144:210-242
Publication Year :
2000
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2000.

Abstract

As the planet's principal cold traps, the martian polar regions have accumulated extensive mantles of ice and dust that cover individual areas of approximately 10(6) km2 and total as much as 3-4 km thick. From the scarcity of superposed craters on their surface, these layered deposits are thought to be comparatively young--preserving a record of the seasonal and climatic cycling of atmospheric CO2, H2O, and dust over the past approximately 10(5)-10(8) years. For this reason, the martian polar deposits may serve as a Rosetta Stone for understanding the geologic and climatic history of the planet--documenting variations in insolation (due to quasiperiodic oscillations in the planet's obliquity and orbital elements), volatile mass balance, atmospheric composition, dust storm activity, volcanic eruptions, large impacts, catastrophic floods, solar luminosity, supernovae, and perhaps even a record of microbial life. Beyond their scientific value, the polar regions may soon prove important for another reason--providing a valuable and accessible reservoir of water to support the long-term human exploration of Mars. In this paper we assess the current state of Mars polar research, identify the key questions that motivate the exploration of the polar regions, discuss the extent to which current missions will address these questions, and speculate about what additional capabilities and investigations may be required to address the issues that remain outstanding.

Details

ISSN :
00191035
Volume :
144
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Icarus
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....0db415316ebe716549bcbcee4e50b644
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1999.6290