A Modeling Study of the Seasonal, Latitudinal, and Temporal Distribution of the Meteoroid Mass Input at Mars: Constraining the Deposition of Meteoric Ablated Metals in the Upper Atmosphere

Abstract This study provides a comprehensive description of the deposition meteor-ablated metals in upper atmosphere Mars, accounting for temporal, vertical, latitudinal, and seasonal distribution. For this purpose, Leeds Chemical Ablation Model is combined with meteoroid input function to characterize size velocity distributions three distinctive populations around Mars—the Jupiter-family comets (JFCs), main-belt asteroids, Halley-type (HTCs). These modeling results show significant midnight-to-noon enhancement total mass influx because orbital dynamics impacts preferentially distributed equator particles diameters below 2000 μ m. The maximum occurs between northern winter first crossing ecliptic plane 2.30 tons sol −1 , JFCs being main contributor overall up 56% Mars’ equator. Similarly, ablated atoms mainly arise from HTCs injection rate 0.71 spanning perihelion winter. In contrast, minimum inputs occur vertical distance above aphelion 1.50 0.42 respectively. Meteoric ablation approximately range altitude 100 60 km strong at equatorial latitudes. eccentricity inclination orbit produces shift peak high latitudes as Mars moves toward, or away, northern/southern solstices.