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Degree‐one displacements on Mars
Author(s) -
Van Hoolst T.,
Dehant V.,
de Viron O.,
Defraigne P.,
Barriot J.P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl014711
Subject(s) - sublimation (psychology) , planet , mars exploration program , geology , martian , physics , perpendicular , geodesy , polar , astrobiology , atmospheric sciences , astronomy , geometry , psychology , mathematics , psychotherapist
An important characteristic of the Martian atmosphere is that a large proportion of its CO 2 condensates during winter in the huge polar ice caps. This CO 2 sublimation/condensation process is associated with large seasonal mass transport from the North pole to the South pole and vice versa. As the center of mass of the system—consisting of the planet and the CO 2 layer—does not change due to this transport, the center of mass of the planet is displaced to satisfy the equilibrium. The effects of the planetary center of mass displacement on station positions are evaluated to be at the level of several centimeter in the direction along the rotation axis, and several millimeters in the perpendicular directions.