Constraining the Characteristics of Surface Co2 Snow and Glacier Ice on Mars from Spectral Signatures using Modeling and Remote Sensing Data

Carbon dioxide ice in Mars’ poles significantly impacts the planet’s energy budget due to its high reflectivity and seasonal variability. The discovery of CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> ice glaciers on Mars explains how CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> ice accumulates in curvilinear basins at the planet’s south pole. Dust and snow metamorphism can significantly reduce the albedo of snow and ice. We utilize and improve the terrestrial Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR) model to simulate realistic martian conditions. We also deduce the composition and characteristics of Mars’s south polar ice cap using model-simulated spectra and observed data. By complementing observations, this study agrees with previous findings that the permanent south polar ice cap is not pure CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> ice but contains varying amounts of martian dust and H<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>O ice intermixed with it.