The Mars2020 Perseverance Rover landed successfully on the Martian surface on the Jezero Crater floor (18.44°N, 77.45°E) at Martian solar longitude, $L_s$, $\sim$5 in February 2021. Since then it has produced highly valuable environmental measurements with a versatile scientific payload including the MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer) suite of environmental sensors. One of the MEDA systems is the PS pressure sensor system which weighs 40 grams and has an estimated absolute accuracy of better than 3.5 Pa and a resolution of 0.13 Pa. We present initial results from the first 414 sols of Martian atmospheric surface pressure observations by the PS whose performance was found to meet its specifications. Observed sol-averaged atmospheric pressures follow an anticipated pattern of pressure variation in the course of the advancing season and are consistent with data from other landing missions. The observed diurnal pressure amplitude varies by $\sim$2-5 \% of the sol-averaged pressure, with absolute amplitude 10-35 Pa in an approximately direct relationship with airborne dust. During a regional dust storm, which began at $L_s~135^\circ$ the diurnal pressure amplitude roughly doubles. The diurnal pressure variations were found to be remarkably sensitive to the seasonal evolution of the atmosphere. In particular analysis of the diurnal pressure signature revealed diagnostic information likely related to the regional scale structure of the atmosphere. Comparison of Perseverance pressure observations to data from other landers reveals the global scale seasonal behaviour of Mars’ atmosphere.

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) instrument, on board the NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, includes a number of sensors to characterize the Martian atmosphere. One of this sensors is the Radiation and Dust Sensor (RDS) that measures the solar irradiance at different wavelengths and geometries. We analyzed the RDS observations made during twilight for the period between sol 71 and 492 of the mission (Ls 39◦-262◦) to characterize the clouds over the Perseverance rover site. Using the ratio between the irradiance at zenith at 450 and 750 nm, we inferred that the main constituent of the detected high-altitude aerosol layers was ice from Ls= 39◦ to 150◦ (cloudy period), an dust from Ls 150◦-262◦. A total of 161 twilights were analyzed in the cloudy period using a radiative transfer code and we found: i) signatures of clouds/hazes in the signals in the 58 % of the twilights; ii) most of the clouds had altitudes between 40-50 km, suggesting water ice composition, and had particle sizes between 0.6 and 2 μm; iii) the cloud activity at sunrise is slightly higher that at sunset, likely due to the differences in temperature; iv) the time period with more cloud detections and with the greatest cloud opacities is during Ls 120◦-150◦; and v) a notable decrease in the cloud activity around the aphelion, along with lower cloud altitudes and opacities. This decrease in cloud activity indicates lower concentrations of water vapor or cloud condensation nuclei (dust) around this period in the Martian mesosphere.

A document by Joonas Leino. Click on the document to view its contents.

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on board Perseverance includes first-of-their-kind sensors measuring the incident and reflected solar flux, the downwelling atmospheric IR flux, and the upwelling IR flux emitted by the surface. We use these measurements for the first 350 sols of the Mars 2020 mission (Ls ~ 6-174 deg; in Martian Year 36) to determine the surface radiative budget on Mars, and to calculate the broadband albedo (0.3-3 μm) as a function of the illumination and viewing geometry. Together with MEDA measurements of ground temperature, we calculate the thermal inertia for homogeneous terrains without the need for numerical models. We found that: (1) the observed downwelling atmospheric IR flux is significantly lower than model predictions. This is likely caused by the strong diurnal variation in aerosol opacity measured by MEDA, which is not accounted for by numerical models. (2) The albedo presents a marked non-Lambertian behavior, with lowest values near noon and highest values corresponding to low phase angles (i.e., Sun behind the observer). (3) Thermal inertia values ranged between 180 (sand dune) and 605 (bedrock-dominated material) SI units. (4) Averages across Perseverance’ traverse of albedo and thermal inertia (spatial resolution of ~3-4 m2) are in very good agreement with collocated retrievals of thermal inertia from THEMIS (spatial resolution of 100 m per pixel) and of bolometric albedo in the 0.25-2.9 μm range from (spatial resolution of ~300 km2). The results presented here are important to validate model predictions and provide ground-truth to orbital measurements.

Observations by several cameras on the Perseverance rover showed a 22° scattering halo around the Sun over several hours on the morning of sol 292 (15 December 2021). Such a halo has not previously been seen off Earth. The halo occurred during the aphelion cloud belt season and the cloudiest time yet observed from the Perseverance site. The halo required crystalline water-ice cloud particles in the form of hexagonal columns large enough for refraction to be significant, at least 11 µm in diameter and length. Near 44 km altitude, fall speeds would have been 0.3-1 m/s for the smallest allowed particles. Over the 3.3-hour duration of the halo, particles could have fallen 3-12 km, causing downward transport of water and dust. Halo-forming clouds are likely rare due to the high supersaturation of water that is required but may be more common in northern subtropical regions during mid-northern summer.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has explored over 400 meters of vertical stratigraphy within Gale crater to date. These fluvio-deltaic, lacustrine, and aeolian strata have been well-documented by Curiosity’s in-situ and remote science instruments, including the Mast Camera (Mastcam) pair of multispectral imagers. Mastcam visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectra can broadly distinguish between iron phases and oxidation states, and in combination with chemical data from other instruments, Mastcam spectra can help constrain mineralogy, depositional origin, and diagenesis. However, no traverse-scale analysis of Mastcam multispectral data has yet been performed. We compiled a database of Mastcam spectra from >600 multispectral observations and 1 quantified spectral variations across Curiosity’s traverse through Vera Rubin ridge (sols 0-2302). From principal component analysis and an examination of spectral parameters, we identified 9 rock spectral classes and 5 soil spectral classes. Rock classes are dominated by spectral differences attributed to hematite and other oxides (due to variations in grain size, composition, and abundance) and are mostly confined to specific stratigraphic members. Soil classes fall along a mixing line between soil spectra dominated by fine-grained Fe-oxides and those dominated by olivine-bearing sands. By comparing trends in soil vs. rock spectra, we find that locally derived sediments are not significantly contributing to the spectra of soils. Rather, varying contributions of dark, mafic sands from the active Bagnold Dune field is the primary spectral characteristic of soils. These spectral classes and their trends with stratigraphy provide a basis for comparison in Curiosity’s ongoing exploration of Gale crater.

The Mastcam-Z radiometric calibration targets mounted on the NASA’s Perseverance rover proved to be effective in the calibration of Mastcam-Z images to reflectance (I/F) over the first 350 sols on Mars. Mastcam-Z imaged the calibration targets regularly to perform reflectance calibration on multispectral image sets of targets on the Martian surface. For each calibration target image, mean radiance values were extracted for 41 distinct regions of the targets, including patches of color and grayscale materials. Eight strong permanent magnets, placed under the primary target, attracted magnetic dust and repelled it from central surfaces, allowing the extraction of radiance values from eight regions relatively clean from dust. These radiances were combined with reflectances obtained from laboratory measurements, a one-term linear fit model was applied, and the slopes of the fits were retrieved as estimates of the solar irradiance and used to convert Mastcam-Z images from radiance to reflectance. Derived irradiance time series are smoothly varying in line with expectations based on the changing Mars-Sun distance, being only perturbed by a few significant dust events. The deposition of dust on the calibration targets was largely concentrated on the magnets, ensuring a minimal influence of dust on the calibration process. The fraction of sunlight directly hitting the calibration targets was negatively correlated with the atmospheric optical depth, as expected. Further investigation will aim at explaining the origin of a small offset observed in the fit model employed for calibration, and the causes of a yellowing effect affecting one of the calibration targets materials.

We characterize the vortex and dust devil activity at Jezero from pressure and winds obtained with the MEDA instrument on Mars 2020 over 415 sols (Ls=6-213º). Vortices are abundant (4.9 vortices per sol with pressure drops >0.5 Pa when correcting from gaps in coverage) and peak at noon. At least one in every 5 vortices carries dust from RDS-MEDA data, and intense vortices are more likely to carry dust. Seasonal variability was small but dust devils were abundant during a dust storm (Ls=152-156º). Vortices are more frequent and intense over terrains with lower thermal inertia favoring a higher daytime surface-to-air temperature gradient. We fit measurements of wind and pressure during dust devil encounters to models of vortices, and investigate their physical characteristics. Diameters range from 5 to 135 m with a mean of 20 m. Three 100-m size events passed within 30 m of the rover. From the close encounters we estimate a dust devil activity of 2.0-3.0 dust devils km$^{-2}$ sol$^{-1}$. A comparison of MEDA observations with a Large Eddy Simulation of Jezero at Ls=45º produces a similar result. We estimate that large dust devils with diameters $>100$ m have a density of 0.1 dust devils km-2sol-1, implying that dust lifting is dominated by the largest vortices in the region. At least one vortex had a central pressure drop of 9.0 Pa and internal winds of 25 ms-1. The MEDA wind sensors were partially damaged during two dust devil encounters, and we detail these events.

Mars 2020 Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) instrument data acquired during half of a martian year (Ls 13º-180º), and modeling efforts with the Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) and Mars Climate Database (MCD) allow us to study the seasonal evolution and variability of nocturnal atmospheric turbulence at Jezero crater. Nighttime conditions in Mars’s Planetary Boundary Layer are highly stable because of strong radiative cooling that efficiently inhibits convection. However, MEDA nighttime observations of simultaneous, rapid fluctuations in horizontal wind speed and air temperatures suggest the development of nighttime turbulence in Jezero crater. Mesoscale modeling with MRAMS also shows a similar pattern and enables us to investigate the origins of this turbulence and the mechanisms at play. As opposed to Gale crater, less evidence of turbulence from breaking mountain/gravity wave activity was found in Jezero during the period studied with MRAMS. On the contrary, the model suggests that nighttime turbulence at Jezero crater is explained by mechanical turbulence produced by increasingly strong wind shear related to the development of a bore-like disturbance at the nocturnal inversion interface. The enhanced wind shear leads to a reduction in the Ri and an onset of mechanical turbulence. Once the critical Richardson Number is reached (Ri ∼< 0.25), shear instabilities can mix warmer air aloft down to the surface.

Martian atmospheric dust is a major driver of weather, with feedbacks between atmospheric dust distribution, circulation changes from radiative heating and cooling driven by this dust, and winds that mobilize surface dust and distribute it in the atmosphere. Wind-driven mobilization of surface dust is a poorly understood process due to significant uncertainty about minimum wind stress, and whether saltation of sand particles is required. This study utilizes video of six Ingenuity helicopter flights to measure dust lifting during helicopter ascents, traverses, and descents. Dust mobilization persisted on take-off until the helicopter exceeded 3 m altitude, with dust advecting at 4-6 m/s. During landing, dust mobilization initiated at 2.3-3.6 m altitude. Extensive dust mobilization occurred during traverses at 5.1-5.7 m altitude. Dust mobilization threshold friction velocity of rotor-induced winds during landing are modelled at 0.4-0.6 m/s (factor of two uncertainty in this estimate), with higher winds required when the helicopter was over undisturbed terrain. Modeling dust mobilization from >5 m cruising altitude indicates mobilization by 0.3 m/s winds, suggesting non-saltation mechanisms like mobilization and destruction of dust aggregates. No dependence on background winds was seen for the initiation of dust lifting, but one case of takeoff in 7 m/s winds created a track of darkened terrain downwind of the helicopter, which may have been a saltation cluster. When the helicopter was cruising at 5-6 m altitude, recirculation was seen in the dust clouds.

We use the surface temperature response to Phobos transits as observed by a radiometer on board of the InSight lander to constrain the thermal properties of the uppermost layer of regolith. Modeled transit lightcurves validated by solar panel current measurements are used to modify the boundary conditions of a 1D heat conduction model. We test several model parameter sets, varying the thickness and thermal conductivity of the top layer to explore the range of parameters that match the observed temperature response within its uncertainty both during the eclipse as well as the full diurnal cycle. The measurements indicate a thermal inertia of 103+48-24 Jm-2K-1s-1/2 in the uppermost layer of 0.2 to 4 mm, significantly smaller than the thermal inertia of 200 Jm-2K-1s-1/2 derived from the diurnal temperature curve. This could be explained by larger particles, higher density, or a very small amount of cementation in the lower layers.

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument is a suite of instruments aboard the Mars Science Laboratory that landed on Mars in 2012. Recent measurements of SAM inlet cover actuator temperatures during the 2018 Mars Global Dust Storm have shown less extreme, more benign effects that are beneficial to mechanism performance. These in-situ measurements and models developed from the current study can guide development of actuators and mechanisms on future robotic and manned mission to Mars. Deck-mounted actuators saw drastic, factor of two reduction in diurnal temperature range from 70C to 35C. Maximum temperatures were reduced from +10C to -10C due lower daytime air temperature and attenuation of solar flux absorbed by the actuator body due to increased opacity. Minimum temperatures increased from -60C to -45C due to warmer night-time air temperatures and an enhanced downwelling atmospheric radiation at the surface also caused by dust in the air. Another demonstration of the effects of the dust storm on inlet cover actuator temperature is the linear relation of optical depth plotted against logarithmic diurnal temperature range. Air-fall dust deposition on the white rover deck during the dust storm is indicated by scatter on this linear trend. Other constantly-monitored SAM temperatures include sensors on a second actuator that also shows the effects discussed above and two sensors mounted internally to SAM with less pronounced effects. In this work we will present an overview of the dust storm effects superimposed on the seasonal variation of actuator and other SAM temperatures.