Final Announcement
Meeting Location and Date
The Mars Workshop on Amazonian and Present-Day Climate will be held June 18-22, 2018 in Lakewood, Colorado at the Denver West Conference Facility adjacent to the Planetary Science Institute office.
Visit the Program and Presenter Information page for detailed agenda and presenter information.
Purpose and Scope
The Mars workshop is intended as the first of many meetings to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas regarding the last 3 Ga of martian polar and climate history, including its environment and processes. Understanding the Amazonian climate is critical to linking present-day observations to models of Mars’ ancient climate and for linking it to current volatile reservoirs. On average, the Amazonian climate was dryer and cooler than the ancient Mars’ climate; however, atmospheric, chemical, and surface processes continue to shape the martian landscape — as has been observed on present-day Mars. As our observation baseline lengthens and our ability to interpret surface geomorphic and spectral features improves, our ability to link modern surface and atmospheric processes to analogous features of the Amazonian climate improves as well. Additionally, observations of Mars’ present-day climate lead to better climate models, which can then be used to connect relict landforms on the surface to environmental conditions in the past. In recognition of the broad scope and interdisciplinary nature of these topics, we welcome the participation of researchers with relevant theoretical, experimental, or field experience for understanding modern Mars.
The workshop is designed to assess the current state of research for Mars' recent and current environment and surface processes, including studies in glaciology, geomorphology, geochemistry, and atmospheric and climate sciences. Studies connecting the physical landscape and surface composition with environmental conditions, climate, and/or processes over a range of timescales from diurnal to orbital cycles are welcomed. Analyses of mission data and computer modeling will be important topics for this workshop. Additional topics will include terrestrial analogs and laboratory experiments that can enhance our interpretation of remote sensing data from Mars as well as concepts for future missions. One goal of this workshop is to set options and priorities for such missions and to serve as an important resource for those scientists wishing to develop instruments, propose spacecraft, or participate as a member of a science team in response to future planetary mission opportunities. During the technical sessions, outstanding questions and methods to address such questions will be discussed and later published within a workshop summary paper.
With its focus on recent global climate, the Mars Workshop on Amazonian and Present-Day Climate will supplement the International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, held in alternating 4-year periods (Winter and Summer Olympic years, respectively). This workshop also complements the Late Mars Workshop, by having a greater focus on permafrost, polar, and atmospheric processes and their role in shaping the geologic record pertaining to martian climate.
