Time variations of Mars' gravitational field and seasonal changes in the masses of the polar ice caps
Name
Zuber_Time variations.pdf
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644.67 KB
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Author(s)
Smith, David E.
Zuber, Maria
Torrence, Mark H.
Dunn, Peter J.
Neumann, Gregory A.
Lemoine, Frank G.
Fricke, Susan K.
Date Issued
May 2009
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Citation
Smith, David E. et al. “Time Variations of Mars’ Gravitational Field and Seasonal Changes in the Masses of the Polar Ice Caps.” Journal of Geophysical Research 114.E5 (2009): E05002. Web. ©2009 American Geophysical Union.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Tracking of the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has been used to measure changes in the long-wavelength gravity field of Mars and to estimate the seasonal mass of carbon dioxide that is deposited in the polar regions each fall and winter and sublimed back into the atmosphere every spring and summer. Observations spanning 4 Mars years have been analyzed. A clear and well-defined seasonal signal, composed of annual and semiannual periods, is seen in the lowest odd degree 3 coefficient but with less confidence in the lowest even degree 2, which is expected to be smaller and is also much more difficult to observe. Direct estimation of the seasonal mass exchange employing a simple, seasonally varying model of the size and height of each cap provides values that indicate some systematic departures from the deposition predicted by a general circulation model. Estimates are also obtained for the precession and nutation of the pole of rotation of Mars, the degree 2 tidal Love number, k 2, and the mass of Phobos, the larger of Mars' two natural satellites.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1029/2008je003267
