HR: 0830h
AN: P21F-01    [Abstracts]
TI: MOC Observations of Water-Ice Clouds Over Major Martian Volcanoes
AU: * Benson, J L
EM: jbenson@physics.utoledo.edu
AF: University of Toledo, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy , Toledo, OH 43606 United States
AU: James, P B
AF: University of Toledo, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy , Toledo, OH 43606 United States
AU: Cantor, B A
AF: Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., PO Box 910148, San Diego, CA 92191 United States
AU: Remigio, R
AF: Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., PO Box 910148, San Diego, CA 92191 United States
AB: Using Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera daily global maps, cloud areas have been measured daily for water-ice clouds associated with the topography of the major volcanoes Olympus Mons, Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, Arsia Mons, Elysium Mons, and Alba Patera. This study expands on that of Benson et al. (2003, Icarus 165, 34) by continuing their cloud area measurements of the Tharsis volcanoes, Olympus Mons and Alba Patera for an additional Martian year (August 2001 - May 2003) and also including Elysium Mons measurements from March 1999 through May 2003. The seasonal trends in cloud activity established by Benson et al. (2003) for the five volcanoes studied earlier are corroborated here with an additional year of coverage. Interannual variations that could be associated with the large 2001 planet encircling dust storm are minimal. Elysium Mons cloud activity is similar to that of Olympus and Ascraeus Mons, however the peak in cloud area is near Ls = 140° rather than near Ls = 100°. At Arsia Mons, where cloud activity was continuous in the first two years, clouds disappeared totally for ~85° of Ls (Ls = 188° - 275°) due to the planet encircling dust storm in 2001. This work is supported by the NASA Mars Data Analysis Program (Grant &35; NAG5-18126) and a MGS Team Science Analysis grant from JPL.
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0343 Planetary atmospheres (5405, 5407, 5409, 5704, 5705, 5707)
DE: 5409 Atmospheres--structure and dynamics
DE: 6225 Mars
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly