REGRIND aims

Recent observations have shown surprisingly high rates of sand movement on Mars, with some regions showing similar fluxes of sand to some arid regions on Earth. This sand movement may directly alter trace gas fluxes to and from the atmosphere via:

1. the release of gases from fluid inclusions in minerals;
2. the reaction of fractured mineral bonds (mechanochemistry);
3. the build-up and release of electrostatic charge (triboelectricity).

 REGRIND will investigate these three mechanisms to study how they alter trace gas fluxes into and from the Martian atmosphere.

How REGRIND will work

REGRIND will fill a critical knowledge gap by conducting a range of experiments mimicking aeolian erosion on Mars at relevant environmental conditions and quantifying its impact on trace gas fluxes. Results will be compared to maps of trace gas fluxes, temperature and estimated sand fluxes at specific regions on Mars by coupling ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discover and NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) data.

What will REGRIND achieve?

This interdisciplinary project will aid the identification of the sources and sinks of key trace gases including methane on the surface of Mars.