High-priority science questions identified at the Mars Workshop on Amazonian and Present-Day Climate. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Diniega, Serina; Smith, Isaac B.
• Is Part Of: Planetary and space science. Volume 182(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Mars -- Amazonian -- Climate -- Present-day -- Polar; Space sciences -- Periodicals; Atmosphere, Upper -- Periodicals; Sciences spatiales -- Périodiques; Haute atmosphère -- Périodiques; 523
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2019.104813
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-0633

Abstract

Abstract: The Mars Workshop on Amazonian and Present-Day Climate was held in June 2018. In this paper, we describe the context and motivations for the Workshop and summarize the proceedings. In particular, we identify 37 high-priority Mars Amazonian and present-day climate questions that arose from presentations and discussion at the workshop, which we group under Key Questions on (1) interpreting the record in the Polar Layered Deposits, (2) identifying and characterizing off-polar climate records (such as large subsurface mid-latitude ice deposits and signs of aqueous alteration), (3) the global budget of dust/sand, salts, and ice, and (4) the global movement of these materials. These 37 questions pertain to processes in the atmosphere, surface, and subsurface active in the present and past, as well as the record they leave of the historical climate. As many of the processes of interest are interconnected, the questions we present are often intertwined; some questions are identified as being of highest-priority because of their larger scientific value and/or that addressing it would contribute important information towards answering many other questions. Related to the high-priority questions, we identify key measurements in the areas of PLD formation and evolution, surface change/interactions, state of global reservoirs, and environmental (surface/atmospheric) conditions. Our objective is for these lists of high-priority questions and measurements to contribute towards discussion of future Mars scientific exploration, and to record the state of Mars Amazonian climate knowledge as of the time of our workshop.