1cm 10cm Site 3 Utopia itia Arcadia nitia 16 14 VL 2 ite 5 Site 4 45- Site 1 Sit

Question

1cm 10cm Site 3 Utopia itia Arcadia nitia 16 14 VL 2 ite 5 Site 4 45- Site 1 Site 2 140 E 160 E 180 E Figure 2: Inferred distribution of ground ice from orbital data (neutron spectroscopy), where colors indicate depth to the ice table. From Byrne et al. (2009), Science. Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. A botanist by training, he needs your help in order to survive and get home safely to Earth! (a) Watney accidentally depressurizes the habitat ("hab"), fortunately while wearing his pressurized space suit. Unfortunately, he left open a large container of water. What happens to the water? Explain your assumptions The hab is located at an average surface elevation and the air temperature is 250 K with 0.01% relative humidity. (b) After the hab disaster, Watney needs to locate some water. His instruments have shown the annual average H20 column is about 15 pr-/um (precipitable microns1). What is the average partial pressure of H20 based on this measurement? (Hint: use the density of condensed water, ~ 1000 kg m-3 to convert pr-um to column mass, kg m2 then use this to find the partial pressure at the surface.)

Explanation / Answer

a)Phase of the water depends on temperature and pressure. here the temperature is below the freezing point , but the pressure on Mars surface is around 600pascal (Earth : 100K Pa). this pressure is just below the triple point where water ice goes to a gas phase.so on mars surface water will solidify due to low temperature and evaporate immediately due to very low pressure and will miss the water phase.

b)Annual Average H2O column= 15pr-micrometer

=15*10-6 m.

then, the pressure exerted by the column of water vapour = density of condensed water *15*10-6

=1000*15*10-6 =15000*10-6 = 0.015 kg/m2

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