The stability of CO
2 in the Martian atmosphere against photodissociation is re-examined. A new one-dimensional model using lower thermospheric temperatures and smaller solar fluxes, which are more appropriate for the time of the Mariner 6/7 experiments, predicts smaller atomic oxygen densities in the upper atmosphere than those predicted by previous investigators. In order to explain the observed O densities in the upper atmosphere (1-2% at 135km), our model requires a vertical eddy diffusion coefficient of -5×10
7cm
2 sec
-1, which is much smaller than the previously suggested values (>5×10
8cm
2 sec
-1). In the lower atmosphere, catalytic reactions of HO
x are essential for reforming CO
2 from its dissociation products CO and O. Our results show that the HO
x generated by the model using the global average of the observed amount of water vapor (-10μm) catalyzes too much recombination. Diurnal variation in OH densities may help to suppress HO
x catalyses, particularly at night. Martian water vapor is highly variable; therefore, the mechanism by which the CO
2 level is maintained and its relationship to the water vapor distribution must be considered on a global scale.
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