Dr Kevin Olsen

Abstract:

Recent observations from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) have revealed the presence of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the martian atmosphere. HCl shows strong seasonality, primarily appearing during Mars' perihelion period before decreasing faster than projected from photolysis and gas‐phase chemistry. HCl profiles also display local anti‐correlation with water ice aerosol. One candidate explanation is heterogeneous chemistry. We present the first results from a heterogeneous chlorine chemistry scheme incorporated into a Mars global climate model (GCM), with atmospheric dust/water ice parameterized as an HCl source/sink respectively. Results were compared against a Mars GCM with gas‐phase only chlorine chemistry and observations from TGO's Atmospheric Chemistry Suite. We found that the heterogeneous scheme significantly improved the modeled HCl seasonal, latitudinal, and vertical distribution, supporting a crucial role for heterogeneous chemistry in Mars' chlorine cycle. Remaining discrepancies show that further work is needed to characterize the exact aerosol reactions involved.

Abstract:

Recent observations by instruments aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) have revealed the seasonal presence of hydrogen chloride ( HCl $\text{HCl}$ ) in the Martian atmosphere. This discovery may have important implications for Martian photochemistry as chlorine species are chemically active, and it may provide a link between the atmosphere and known surface reservoirs of chlorine. However, the global distribution of atmospheric HCl $\text{HCl}$ is unknown beyond the very sparse TGO observations, and the source and sink processes driving the observed variability of HCl $\text{HCl}$ are not currently understood. We used a Martian global climate model to investigate, for the first time, the spatial distribution of chlorine species in the Martian atmosphere, and the resulting distribution of surface perchlorates formed via adsorption of atmospheric chlorine species. We adapted an existing Martian photochemical scheme to include gas‐phase chlorine chemistry with HCl as the source species, and the resulting atmospheric perchloric acid was allowed to deposit onto the Martian surface via a heterogeneous adsorption scheme. We found that odd‐oxygen ( O , O 3 $\mathrm{O},{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ ) and odd‐hydrogen ( H , OH , HO 2 $\mathrm{H},\text{OH},{\text{HO}}_{2}$ ) species play a major role in controlling the distribution of atmospheric chorine species. Surface perchlorate deposition was found to occur preferentially at high latitudes; in the tropics, the perchlorate distribution was anti‐correlated with surface thermal inertia and agreed qualitatively with observations of surface chlorine. Our model predicted a relative enhancement of HCl in polar regions, but it did not reproduce the observed strong seasonality of HCl, suggesting that heterogeneous chemistry may be required to explain the observed chlorine cycle.

Abstract:

The detection of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the atmosphere of Mars was among the primary objectives of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) mission. Its discovery using the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite mid‐infrared channel (ACS MIR) showed a distinct seasonality and possible link to dust activity. This paper is part 2 of a study investigating the link between HCl and aerosols by comparing gas measurements made with TGO to dust and water ice opacities measured with the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS). In part 1, we showed, and compared, the seasonal evolution of vertical profiles of HCl, water vapor, temperature, dust opacity, and water ice opacity over the dusty periods around perihelion (solar longitudes 180°–360°) across Mars years 34–36. In part 2, we investigated the quantitative correlations in the vertical distribution between each quantity, as well as ozone. We show that there is a strong positive correlation between HCl and water vapor, which is expected due to fast photochemical production rates for HCl when reacting with water vapor photolysis products. We also show a strong positive correlation between water vapor and temperature, but are unable to show any correlation between temperature and HCl. There are weak correlations between the opacities of dust and water ice, and dust and water vapor, but only very low correlations between dust and HCl. We close with a discussion of possible sources and sinks and that interactions between HCl and water ice are the most likely for both, given the inter‐comparison.

Abstract:

Detecting trace gases such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) in Mars' atmosphere is among the primary objectives of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) mission. Terrestrially, HCl is closely associated with active volcanic activity, so its detection on Mars was expected to point to some form of active magmatism/outgassing. However, after its discovery using the mid‐infrared channel of the TGO Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS MIR), a clear seasonality was observed, beginning with a sudden increase in HCl abundance from below detection limits to 1–3 ppbv in both hemispheres coincident with the start of dust activity, followed by very sudden and rapid loss at the southern autumnal equinox. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between HCl and atmospheric dust by making comparisons in the vertical distribution of gases measured with ACS and aerosols measured co‐located with the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS). This study includes HCl, water vapor, and ozone measured using ACS MIR, water vapor and temperature measured with the near infrared channel of ACS, and temperature, dust opacity, and water ice opacity measured with MCS. In part 1, we show that dust loading has a strong impact in temperature, which controls the abundance of water ice and water vapor, and that HCl is very closely linked to water activity. In part 2, we investigate the quantitative correlations between each quantity and discuss the possible source and sinks of HCl, their likelihood given the correlations, and any issues arising from them.

Abstract:

European Space Agency’s Mars Express (MEX) has been orbiting Mars for 20 years and its instruments have provided a plethora of observations of atmospheric dust and clouds. These observations have been analysed to produce many unique views of the processes leading to dust lifting and cloud formation, and a full picture of the climatologies of dust and clouds has emerged. Moreover, the orbit of MEX enables viewing the planet at many local times, giving a unique access to the diurnal variations of the atmosphere. This article provides an overview of the observations of dust and clouds on Mars by MEX, complemented by the Trace Gas Orbiter that has been accompanying MEX on orbit for some years.