The chlorine cycle on Mars: What do we know after three Mars years of observation with ACS on TGO?

 

The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) took its first science observation in April 2018, right before the onset of the Mars Year (MY) 34 global dust storm. One of the main objectives of the TGO mission is to search for as-yet undetected trace gases that can tell us about contemporary volcanism on Mars, or its present and past habitability. In the data collected those first months, heavily impacted by dust activity, the first novel trace gas was discovered: hydrogen chloride. MY 37 has just begun and we have recently finished observing our third full dusty season on Mars with TGO and ACS (around perihelion, spring and summer in the southern hemisphere). HCl in the atmosphere of Mars is a seasonal phenomenon, having appeared coincidentally with the start of dust activity in each MY. HCl was thought to be an indication of contemporary volcanism, but its widespread distribution across both hemispheres and recurring seasonality are suggestive of a photochemical source. Here, we present the climatology of HCl after three Martian perihelion periods, as well as a comparison with other parameters measured with ACS, such as water, temperature, and aerosols. From coincident measurements made with the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), we can also compare the climatology of HCl with those of dust and water ice. HCl is strongly correlated to water vapour, which is itself correlated to atmospheric temperatures. While HCl only appears in the presence of suspended dust aerosols, the measured abundances of these two quantities are poorly correlated. The disappearance of HCl towards the autumnal equinox may be related to changes in temperature. The cooling atmosphere removes water vapour from the gas phase, necessary for formation of HCl, and promotes ice formation, which HCl may adhere to. We will show the evolution of HCl abundance over three Martian years in both hemispheres, and show how they fit into the seasonality of Martian dust, the water cycle, and ice formation, and discuss the possible mechanisms of its formation and destruction.