Deliquescing salts taking up moisture from the Mars atmosphere: Difference between revisions

Sulfates, chlorides and nitrates can be made in sufficient quantities by atmospheric processes, but the same mechanism with atmospheric chlorine doesn't seem sufficient to explain the observed abundances of perchlorates on Mars.<ref>{{cite journal|url = http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103513005058 | doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2013.11.031 | bibcode=2014Icar..231...51S | volume=231 | title=The formation of sulfate, nitrate and perchlorate salts in the martian atmosphere | year=2014 | journal=Icarus | pages=51–64 | last1 = Smith | first1 = Megan L. | last2 = Claire | first2 = Mark W. | last3 = Catling | first3 = David C. | last4 = Zahnle | first4 = Kevin J.}}</ref>

 

 

Though there is little by way of water vapour in the Mars atmosphere, which is also a near vacuum - still it reaches 100% humidity at night due to the low nighttime temperatures. This effect creates the Martian morning frosts, which were observed by Viking in the extremely dry equatorial regions of Mars.