Ozone abundance on Mars from infrared heterodyne spectra: I. Acquisition, retrieval, and anticorrelation with water vapor

Observations of ozone on Mars were made using the Goddard Space Flight Centerʹs Infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer and Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Wind and Composition at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Ozone is an important observable tracer of martian photochemistry. Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy with spectral resolution ⩾ 10 6 is the only technique that directly measures ozone in the martian atmosphere from the surface of the Earth. Ozone column abundances down to the martian surface were acquired in seven data sets taken between 1988 and 2003 at various orbital positions ( L S = 40 ° , 74°, 102°, 115°, 202°, 208°, 291°). Ozone abundances are compared with those retrieved using ultraviolet techniques, showing good agreement. Odd hydrogen (HOX) chemistry predicts anticorrelation of ozone and water vapor abundances. Retrieved ozone abundances consistently show anticorrelation with corresponding water vapor abundances, providing strong confirmation of odd hydrogen activity. Deviation from strict anticorrelation between the observed total column densities of ozone and water vapor suggests that constituent vertical distribution is an additional, significant factor.