Mars has been extensively studied by a series of spacecraft since the dawn of the space age: by Mariners 4, 6, 7, and 9 (1965-1972), Mars 2 through 6 (1971-1974), and the two Viking Landers and Orbiters in 1976. The knowledge from spacecraft is supplemented by ground-based observations. The essential aspects of Mars are summarized in table 7.1. It is a smaller planet than Earth; the radius and mass are, respectively, 53% and 11% of Earth. The surface gravity is 3.71 m s~2, compared with the terrestrial value of 9.82 m s~2. The physical properties and composition of the Martian atmosphere are summarized in tables 7.1 and 7.2; isotopic composition is given in table 7.3. An example of how this knowledge is obtained is illustrated in figure 7.1, showing the mass spectrum obtained by the mass spectrometer experiment on Viking. The bulk atmosphere is composed of CO2, with small amounts of N2 and Ar and a trace amount of water vapor. Located at 1.52 AU from the sun, the mean insolation at Mars is about half that of Earth. As a result, it is a colder planet, with mean surface temperature of 220 K, too cold for water to flow on the surface in the current epoch. The lack of an ocean results in an arid and dusty climate. The obliquity of Mars is 25.2°, close to the terrestrial value of 23.5°; however, Mars has an eccentric orbit, with eccentricity of 0.093. The ratio of incident solar radiation at perihelion to aphelion is 1.45. The large seasonal variation in heating is believed to be responsible for the spectacular global dust storms that can be observed from Earth and have inspired imaginative but erroneous theories about their origin. The polar regions of Mars can be as cold as 125 K, so CO2 will condense as frost on the surface. In fact, according to the Leighton-Murray model, this is what determines the pressure of the atmosphere. Figure 7.2 shows the seasonal pressure variations at the Viking lander sites for 3.3 Mars years from 1976. Note that the magnitude of the pressure changes is of the order of 20%, compared to the maximum change of 1% on the surface of Earth.