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Hydrated states of MgSO 4 at equatorial latitudes on Mars
Author(s) -
Feldman W. C.,
Mellon M. T.,
Maurice S.,
Prettyman T. H.,
Carey J. W.,
Vaniman D. T.,
Bish D. L.,
Fialips C. I.,
Chipera S. J.,
Kargel J. S.,
Elphic R. C.,
Funsten H. O.,
Lawrence D. J.,
Tokar R. L.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2004gl020181
Subject(s) - equator , water vapor , mars exploration program , latitude , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , atmosphere of mars , geology , martian , relative humidity , astrobiology , environmental science , climatology , meteorology , geodesy , physics
The stability of water ice, epsomite, and hexahydrite to loss of H 2 O molecules to the atmosphere at equatorial latitudes of Mars was studied to determine their potential contributions to the measured abundance of water‐equivalent hydrogen (WEH). Calculation of the relative humidity based on estimates of yearly averages of water‐vapor pressures and temperatures at the Martian surface was used for this purpose. Water ice was found to be sufficiently unstable everywhere within 45° of the equator that if the observed WEH is due to water ice, it requires a low‐permeability cover layer near the surface to isolate the water ice below from the atmosphere above. In contrast, epsomite or hexahydrite may be stable in many near‐equatorial locations where significant amounts of WEH are observed.