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Advective Fluxes in the Martian Regolith as a Mechanism Driving Methane and Other Trace Gas Emissions to the Atmosphere
Author(s) -
ViúdezMoreiras D.,
Arvidson R. E.,
GómezElvira J.,
Webster C.,
Newman C. E.,
Mahaffy P.,
Vasavada A. R.
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.1029/2019gl085694
Subject(s) - regolith , martian , mars exploration program , trace gas , atmosphere of mars , methane , astrobiology , atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , advection , atmospheric sciences , martian soil , geology , martian surface , meteorology , physics , chemistry , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
Abstract Advective fluxes influence methane and CO 2 soil emissions into the atmosphere on Earth and may drive trace gas emissions in the Mars atmosphere. However, their relevance in the Martian regolith has not been evaluated to date. Our regolith transport simulations show that advective fluxes can be relevant under Martian conditions and may drive the methane abundance detected by Mars Science Laboratory. Trace gas emissions would be highest in regions where winds interact with topography. Emissions in these regions may be further enhanced by time‐varying pressure fields produced by diurnal thermal tides and atmospheric turbulence. Trace gases such as methane should be emitted or produced from the first layers of regolith, or quickly transported to this region from a deeper reservoir through fractured media.