title: Mars water-ice clouds and precipitation.
abstract: The light detection and ranging instrument on the Phoenix mission observed water-ice clouds in the atmosphere of Mars that were similar to cirrus clouds on Earth. Fall streaks in the cloud structure traced the precipitation of ice crystals toward the ground. Measurements of atmospheric dust indicated that the planetary boundary layer (PBL) on Mars was well mixed, up to heights of around 4 kilometers, by the summer daytime turbulence and convection. The water-ice clouds were detected at the top of the PBL and near the ground each night in late summer after the air temperature started decreasing. The interpretation is that water vapor mixed upward by daytime turbulence and convection forms ice crystal clouds at night that precipitate back toward the surface.
authors: Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. whiteway@yorku.ca
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Whiteway
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Komguem
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dickinson
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Cook
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Illnicki
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Seabrook
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Popovici
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Duck
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Davy
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Taylor
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Pathak
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Fisher
authors: A I
authors: AI
authors: Carswell
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Daly
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Hipkin
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Zent
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Hecht
authors: S E
authors: SE
authors: Wood
authors: L K
authors: LK
authors: Tamppari
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Renno
authors: J E
authors: JE
authors: Moores
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Lemmon
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Daerden
authors: P H
authors: PH
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D007053:Ice; D018535:Mars; D018531:Spacecraft; D013227:Steam; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D013227:Steam