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No signature of clear CO2 ice from the ‘cryptic’ regions in Mars' south seasonal polar cap

Nature volume 442, pages 790–792 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The seasonal polar ice caps of Mars are composed mainly of CO2 ice1,2. A region of low (< 30%) albedo has been observed within the south seasonal cap during early to mid-spring3,4. The low temperature of this ‘cryptic region’ has been attributed to a clear slab of nearly pure CO2 ice, with the low albedo resulting from absorption by the underlying surface4. Here we report near-infrared imaging spectroscopy of the south seasonal cap. The deep and broad CO2 absorption bands that are expected in the near-infrared with a thick transparent slab of CO2 ice are not observed. Models of the observed spectra indicate that the low albedo results from extensive dust contamination close to the surface of a CO2 ice layer, which could be linked to atmospheric circulation patterns5,6. The strength of the CO2 absorption increases after mid-spring, so part of the dust is either carried away or buried more deeply in the ice layer during the CO2 ice sublimation process.

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Figure 1: Reflectance spectrum of a region at 344° E, 59° S observed by OMEGA at L s 142°.
Figure 2: Albedo of the southern seasonal cap in mid-spring at 1.08 µm (continuum).
Figure 3: Reflectance spectra of representative regions within the southern seasonal cap.
Figure 4: Spectral evolution of a representative area in the cryptic region at 80° E, 82.5° S.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of CNES, which funded the development of OMEGA and its scientific exploitation. Author Contributions Y.L., J.-P.B. and B.G. were responsible for data reduction and observation planning; S.D., F.P. and B.S. contributed to the spectral modelling from optical constants; M.V. performed the modelling of the aerosol contribution; and F.F. provided input on the link with general circulation models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris XI, Campus, 91405, Orsay, France

    Yves Langevin, Mathieu Vincendon, François Poulet, Jean-Pierre Bibring & Brigitte Gondet

  2. Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, CNRS/Université Joseph-Fourier, Grenoble, 38400, France

    Sylvain Douté & Bernard Schmitt

  3. Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, CNRS/Université Paris VI, 75005, Paris, France

    F. Forget

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  1. Yves Langevin
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Correspondence to Yves Langevin.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Discussion

This file provides details on the procedures implemented for evaluating the contribution of aerosols, correcting for atmospheric absorption features and modelling spectra. (PDF 71 kb)

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Langevin, Y., Douté, S., Vincendon, M. et al. No signature of clear CO2 ice from the ‘cryptic’ regions in Mars' south seasonal polar cap. Nature 442, 790–792 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05012

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