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A first comparison between ionospheric and surface level magnetic fields at Mars
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  • Matthew O Fillingim,
  • Catherine L. Johnson,
  • Anna Magdalena Mittelholz,
  • Benoit Langlais,
  • Christopher T. Russell,
  • Steven P. Peter Joy,
  • Peter J Chi,
  • Robert James Lillis,
  • Jared Randolph Espley,
  • Suzanne E. Smrekar,
  • William Bruce Banerdt,
  • Bruce M. Jakosky
Matthew O Fillingim
University of California, Berkeley

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Catherine L. Johnson
University of British Columbia
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Anna Magdalena Mittelholz
The University of British Columbia
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Benoit Langlais
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, Univ. Nantes, Univ. Angers, CNRS, UMR 6112
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Christopher T. Russell
University of California Los Angeles
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Steven P. Peter Joy
University of California Los Angeles
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Peter J Chi
University of California Los Angeles
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Robert James Lillis
University of California, Berkeley
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Jared Randolph Espley
NASA Goddard
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Suzanne E. Smrekar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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William Bruce Banerdt
Jet Propulsion Lab (NASA)
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Bruce M. Jakosky
University of Colorado Boulder
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Abstract

With both the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission and the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission concurrently operating at Mars, we are able to make two point comparisons of the vector magnetic field at Mars for the first time. During MAVEN overflights of the InSight landing site, we compared deviations in the ionospheric magnetic field to variations in the surface level magnetic field. We find significant orbit to orbit variability in the magnitude and direction of the ionospheric magnetic field as well as significant day to day variability of the surface level magnetic field. We attribute this variability to time varying ionospheric currents. However, when analyzing the ensemble of 16 individual MAVEN overflights of the InSight landing location, we see no clear correlation between the magnitudes or directions of the ionospheric magnetic field and the surface magnetic field as might be expected. If the presumed ionospheric currents have a small scale size, then the ionospheric magnetic field will display increased variability as MAVEN flies through the current structure. Whereas the present analysis is restricted to mostly nightside MAVEN overflights where current are expected to be weak, future analyses should incorporate dayside overflights where current are expected to be stronger and current signatures more clear.