The high-altitude peaks of atmospheric ozone as observed by NOMAD/UVIS
onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Mission
Abstract
Solar occultations performed by the Nadir and Occultation for MArs
Discovery (NOMAD) ultraviolet and visible spectrometer (UVIS) onboard
the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) have provided a comprehensive
mapping of ozone density, describing the seasonal and spatial
distribution of atmospheric ozone in detail. The observations presented
here extend over a full Mars year between April 2018 at the beginning of
the TGO science operations during late northern summer on Mars (Ls =
163°) and March 2020. UVIS provided transmittance spectra of the martian
atmosphere in the 200 - 650 nm wavelength range, allowing measurements
of the vertical distribution of the ozone density using its Hartley
absorption band (200 – 300 nm). Our findings indicate the presence of
(1) a high-altitude peak of ozone between 40 and 60 km in altitude over
the north polar latitudes for over 45 % of the martian year,
particularly during mid-northern spring, late northern summer-early
southern spring, and late southern summer, and (2) a second, but more
prominent, high-altitude ozone peak in the south polar latitudes,
lasting for over 60 % of the year including the southern autumn and
winter seasons. When they are present, both high-altitude peaks are
observed in the sunrise and sunset occultations, indicating that the
layers could persist during the day. Model results from the GEM-Mars
General Circulation predicts the general behavior of the high-altitude
peaks of ozone observed by UVIS and are used in an attempt to further
our understanding of the chemical processes controlling the
high-altitude ozone on Mars.