H Escape Rates Inferred from MAVEN/IUVS Observations of the Mars Hydrogen Corona

H escape oxidizes and dessicates the Mars atmosphere and surface, providing a key control on the present-day chemistry and long-term evolution of the planet. Recently, large variations in the escape rate of H as a function of season have been reported by several studies, making continued observation of the variation a high priority. We present escape rates derived from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) observations of the extended atmosphere of Mars at H Lyman alpha (121.6 nm), which must be interpreted with a coupled density/radiative transfer model owing to the optically thick nature of the emission and the small fraction of H present in the corona on escaping trajectories. We recover densities, temperatures, and escape rates under the assumption of spherical symmetry for multiple periods across MAVEN's mission so far, beginning in December 2014 (escape rates ~4e8/cm2/s). We describe the observed variation and compare it with previously observed seasonal variation in retrieved H escape rates, providing a necessary input for future photochemical modeling studies and estimates of water loss from Mars over its history.