Lichens, cyanobacteria and molds growing in humidity of simulated Martian atmosphere: Difference between revisions

The amount of water vapour can be measured as the volume mixing ratio of water vapour (VMR). This varies between around 10 ppm in winter and 70 ppm in summer at the Curiosity site. You might expect the highest relative humidithy then to be in summer, but no, it's in winter, because it is so much colder then. The summer relative himidity is about 10% and the winter relative humidity around 70%.

 

 

Curiosity has measured relative humidity readings of up to 70% in winter, measured at a height of 1.6 meters above ground level (see Sect 14<ref>[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11214-017-0360-x#Sec14 Sec 14]</ref>. This is in winter with a temperature range of around 50 C and mean temperature around -63 C, so lowest temperature around -88 C (see their figure 5<ref>[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11214-017-0360-x#Fig5 Fig5]</ref>), and the highest humidity is normally reached between 04:00 and 06:00 Local Mean Solar Time (LMST).. The lowest humidity readings are between 10:00 and 18:000 LMST, when they are typically less than 5%