Abstract

White Paper Summary of the Final Report from the Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis group (ICE-SAG)

Highlights

  • The compelling, high-priority science questions concerning Martian ices and climate presented in this report (§3) are addressable by missions that are feasible within the decade

  • We summarize the Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis Group (ICE-SAG) final report via a selection of report materials and provide broad context for the content of this Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)-generated report

  • M1: wind – global and within Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) M2: water, dust, temperature, pressure – global and within PBL Priority Area B: distribution/volume of water ice M6: high-resolution, regional-to-global map of nearsurface structure Priority Area C: vertical structure of ice reservoirs M12: characterize layered material as function of depth in polar deposits Priority Area D: surface activity & conditions M16: surface meteorological conditions above an icy layer, through a full Mars year Priority Area E: evidence of liquid water x xxx x x x x x x x x x xx

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Summary

Context for this White Paper

The Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis Group (ICE-SAG) was convened by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in fall 2018 as part of its preparations for the NASA Planetary Science Decadal Survey for 2023 through 2032. One face-to-face meeting, and discussions with experts in relevant topics, ICE-SAG has identified high-priority science questions and key measurements that are needed to address them as well as the 2018 MEPAG Goals and the 20132022 NASA Planetary Science Decadal Survey goals pertaining to ice[2] and climate Obtaining these measurements would yield dramatic improvements in our understanding of the climate history of Mars, which is critical to investigations of Martian geologic history and habitability and will inform the potential of buried water ice deposits as in situ resources for future human missions. The effort to address those questions will require a broad range of measurements, including those related to atmospheric transport of materials, current distribution of volatiles, structure and composition of ice deposits, formation and evolution of ice-rich layers, the presence of liquid water, habitable environments, and resource potential These considerations fed into mission concepts listed below and discussed in detail in the report (§4).

Precise measurements of the transport of materials through the Martian
Identifying which ice reservoirs may be currently growing and determining
Priority Science
Key areas of technology development would enhance or enable acquisition
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