Variability of the altitude of the Martian sheath

Using electron energy spectra, we identify time periods when the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft is in or above the Martian magnetic pileup boundary (MPB). We use more than five years of data to develop a statistical picture of the location of the MPB relative to the MGS mapping altitude near 400 km. We show for the first time that the MPB location is sensitive to interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation and to Martian season, and confirm a dependence upon solar wind pressure. We confirm that crustal magnetic sources raise the altitude of the MPB, and demonstrate that sheath electrons populate magnetic cusp regions in the southern hemisphere. During southern summer strong crustal fields near the subsolar point raise the altitude of the MPB over the entire dayside, implying that Martian crustal fields modify the solar wind interaction globally.