Annual Cycle of GW-induced CO2 Cloud Formation in Mars' Middle Atmosphere
Abstract
Gravity waves (GWs) of lower atmospheric origin influence the dynamical and thermal structure of the Martian middle and upper atmosphere. Recently, using the Max Planck Institute Martian General Circulation Model (MPI-MGCM), incorporating the Yigit et al 2008 whole atmosphere nonlinear GW parameterization, Yigit et al 2015 have demonstrated that GWs facilitate high-altitude CO2 ice cloud formation. In this study, using the same modeling framework, we analyze the annual cycle of cloud formation along with the associated variations of GW activity. CO2 ice cloud variations in the mesosphere and the lower thermosphere (MLT) during one Martian year appreciably coincide with GW effects, suggesting that GW processes significantly affect CO2 ice cloud formation in the Martian MLT
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.P21B2097Y
- Keywords:
-
- 3346 Planetary meteorology;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 6225 Mars;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTSDE: 5405 Atmospheres;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETSDE: 5445 Meteorology;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS