PMID- 33294305
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20210110
IS  - 2169-9097 (Print)
IS  - 2169-9100 (Electronic)
IS  - 2169-9097 (Linking)
VI  - 123
IP  - 5
DP  - 2018 May
TI  - Constraining the Potential Liquid Water Environment at Gale Crater, Mars.
PG  - 1156-1167
LID - 10.1002/2018je005558 [doi]
AB  - The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) 
      has now made continuous in situ meteorological measurements for several Martian 
      years at Gale crater, Mars. Of importance in the search for liquid formation are 
      REMS' measurements of ground temperature and in-air measurements of temperature 
      and relative humidity, which is with respect to ice. Such data can constrain the 
      surface and subsurface stability of brines. Here we use updated calibrations to 
      REMS data and consistent relative humidity comparisons (i.e., with respect to 
      liquid versus with respect to ice) to investigate the potential formation of 
      surface and subsurface liquids throughout MSL's traverse. We specifically study 
      the potential for the deliquescence of calcium perchlorate. Our data analysis 
      suggests that surface brine formation is not favored within the first 1648 sols 
      as there are only two times (sols 1232 and 1311) when humidity-temperature 
      conditions were within error consistent with a liquid phase. On the other hand, 
      modeling of the subsurface environment would support brine production in the 
      shallow subsurface. Indeed, we find that the shallow subsurface for terrains with 
      low thermal inertia (Gamma  less, similar 300 J m(-2) K(-1) s(-1/2)) may be occasionally favorable 
      to brine formation through deliquescence. Terrains with Gamma  less, similar 175 J m(-2) K(-1) 
      s(-1/2) and albedos of  greater, similar0.25 are the most apt to subsurface brine formation. 
      Should brines form, they would occur around Ls 100 degrees . Their predicted properties 
      would not meet the Special nor Uncertain Region requirements, as such they would 
      not be potential habitable environments to life as we know it.
FAU - Rivera-Valentin, Edgard G
AU  - Rivera-Valentin EG
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-4042-003X
AD  - Arecibo Observatory, Universities Space Research Association, Arecibo, PR, USA.
AD  - Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, 
      TX, USA.
FAU - Gough, Raina V
AU  - Gough RV
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-2755-7282
AD  - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of 
      Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
AD  - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 
      Boulder, CO, USA.
FAU - Chevrier, Vincent F
AU  - Chevrier VF
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-1111-587X
AD  - Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Arkansas, 
      Fayetteville, AR, USA.
FAU - Primm, Katherine M
AU  - Primm KM
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-9047-5370
AD  - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of 
      Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
AD  - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 
      Boulder, CO, USA.
FAU - Martinez, German M
AU  - Martinez GM
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5885-236X
AD  - Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 
      Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
FAU - Tolbert, Margaret
AU  - Tolbert M
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5730-6412
AD  - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of 
      Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
AD  - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 
      Boulder, CO, USA.
LA  - eng
GR  - NNX15AM42G/NASA/NASA/United States
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20180331
PL  - United States
TA  - J Geophys Res Planets
JT  - Journal of geophysical research. Planets
JID - 101661797
PMC - PMC7720553
MID - NIHMS995954
EDAT- 2018/05/01 00:00
MHDA- 2018/05/01 00:01
PMCR- 2020/12/07
CRDT- 2020/12/09 06:15
PHST- 2020/12/09 06:15 [entrez]
PHST- 2018/05/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/05/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 2020/12/07 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1002/2018je005558 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Geophys Res Planets. 2018 May;123(5):1156-1167. doi: 10.1002/2018je005558. Epub 
      2018 Mar 31.