The Influence of dust on Martian Ozone Detection

The principal contributors to variations in the ultraviolet environment of Mars are ozone and dust. Ozone is a strong absorber of ultraviolet (UV) light, resulting in a reduction in transmitted radiance in the wavelength region surrounding 255 nm. The spatio-temporal distribution of ozone may be investigated by comparing spectral observations from Mars orbit with solar reference spectra. The photoionisation of molecular species in the upper atmosphere is driven by high energy solar UV radiation, therefore the photochemical role of ozone is a prominent component of the complex system of chemical reactions regulating the atmospheric system. The effect of dust on observed radiance from orbit is a factor in the accuracy of ozone abundance retrievals, particularly at high solar zenith angles (decreased radiance and increased scattering) or high dust loading conditions. The aim of this work is to apply varying dust aerosol distributions, concentrations, and properties to a library of ozone vertical profiles (with consistent atmospheric structures) in order to quantify the effect of dust on future ozone abundance retrievals.

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