Baroclinic waves in the northern hemisphere of Mars as observed by the MRO Mars Climate Sounder and the MGS Thermal Emission Spectrometer.

ABSTRACT: The climatology of baroclinic waves in the northern hemisphere of Mars is investigated through analysis of observations by the infrared sounders on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). We focus on the lowest scale height above the surface, where the waves have a large impact on the Martian dust cycle. Profiles retrieved by the MRO Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) rarely reach the lower atmosphere at the season and location of interest. To fill this gap, we turn to observations in the MCS B1 channel (32 microns) when the instrument is viewing the surface. The signature of baroclinic waves appears in these data because of dust-related emission from the lower atmosphere and wave-induced variations of surface temperature. We supplement the MCS data with measurements of t

SUBMITTER: Hinson DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8506978 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature