Estimation of dust variability and scale height of atmospheric optical depth (AOD) in the Valles Marineris on Mars by Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) data

Abstract

In this paper analyses of bright hazes observed inside Valles Marineris formed during mid-southern spring of Mars is presented. The analysis is performed by using data collected by Mars Colour Camera (MCC) onboard Indian Mars Orbiter Mission on orbits 34, 49 and 52 corresponding to the observation dates of October 28, December 5 and December 13, 2014. It is found that during all these orbits the valley was hazy. On orbit 34 a thick layer of haze was observed, which became relatively thinner on orbit 49. Thick haze reappeared after eight days on orbit 52. We also measured the optical depth of martian atmosphere as a function of altitude above two opposing walls (northern and southern walls of the Valles Marineris near Coprates Chasma region) of the valley, from stereo images that were taken with MCC on December 5, 2014. The optical depth was measured from contrast comparisons of the stereo images with “stereo method”. In the northern wall of Valles, we estimated the optical depth as a function of altitude (ranging between −6km and 3km) and found values between 1.7 (bottom) and 1.0 (top) in red channel and between 2.1 (bottom) and 1.2 (top) in green channel. A fit to these results yields a scale height for the optical depth of 14.08km and 11.24km in red and green channel, which are more or less in good agreement to the pressure scaled height of martian atmosphere at that time in the region as consulted from Global Circulation Model (GCM). We also estimated optical depth in southern wall of Valles Marineris. However, in this case optical depth remains nearly constant with decreasing altitude. We consulted GCM for wind direction in the region and found strong wind with direction from south-west to north-east intersecting the mountain like structure of the southern wall of Valles Marineris. Our optical depth results and the wind direction suggest the presence of lee-wave cloud above the southern wall of Valles Marineris.