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Accession Number
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N20120011573
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Title
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Cloud Greenhouse Effect on Mars: Significant Climate Change in the Recent Past.
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Publication Date
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Mar 2012
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Media Count
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3p
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Personal Author
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F. Montmessin J. R. Schaeffer M. A. Kahre R. J. Phillips R. M. Haberle
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Abstract
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The large variations in Mars orbit parameters are known to be significant drivers of climate change on the Red planet. The recent discovery of buried CO2 ice at the South Pole adds another dimension to climate change studies. In this paper we present results from the Ames GCM that show within the past million years it is possible that clouds from a greatly intensified Martian hydrological cycle may have produced a greenhouse effect strong enough to raise global mean surface temperatures by several tens of degrees Kelvin. It is made possible by the ability of the Martian atmosphere to transport water to high altitudes where cold clouds form, reduce the outgoing longwave radiation, and drive up surface temperatures to maintain global energy balance.
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Keywords
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Atmospheric models
Carbon dioxide
Climate change
Greenhouse effect
Hydrological cycle
Ice
Long wave radiation
Mars atmosphere
Mars(Planet)
Planetary meteorology
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Source Agency
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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NTIS Subject Category
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54 - Astronomy & Astrophysics
84B - Extraterrestial Exploration
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Corporate Author
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, CA. Ames Research Center.
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Document Type
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Conference proceedings
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Title Note
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N/A
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NTIS Issue Number
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1301
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Contract Number
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NNA08AF13C
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