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Clancy RT, Wolff MJ, Heavens NG, James PB, Lee SW, Sandor BJ, Cantor BA, Malin MC, Tyler D, Spiga A. Mars Perihelion Cloud Trails as revealed by MARCI: Mesoscale Topographically Focussed Updrafts and Gravity Wave Forcing of High Altitude Clouds. ICARUS 2021; 362:114411. [PMID: 33867569 PMCID: PMC8051166 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Daily, global wide angle imaging of Mars clouds in MARCI (MARs Color Imager, (Malin et al., 2008)) ultraviolet and visible bands reveals the spatial/seasonal distributions and physical characteristics of perihelion cloud trails (PCT); a class of high altitude (40-50 km), horizontally extended (200-1000 km, trending W to WSW) water ice clouds formed over specific southern low-to-mid latitude (5S-40S), mesoscale (~50 km) locations during the Mars perihelion, southern summer season. PCT were first reported in association with rim regions of Valles Marineris (Clancy et al., 2009). The current study employs MARCI 2007-2011 imaging to sample the broader distributions and properties of PCT; and indicates several distinct locations of peak occurrences, including SW Arsia Mons, elevated regions of Syria, Solis, and Thaumasia Planitia, along Valles Marineris margins, and the NE rim of Hellas Basin. PCT are present over Mars solar longitudes (L S ) of 210-310°, in late morning to mid afternoon hours (10am-3pm), and are among the brightest and most distinctive clouds exhibited during the perihelion portion of the Mars orbit. Their locations (i.e., eastern margin origins) correspond to strong local elevation gradients, and their timing to peak solar heating conditions (perihelion, subsolar latitudes and midday local times). They occur approximately on a daily basis among all locations identified (i.e., not daily at a single location). Based on cloud surface shadow analyses, PCT form at 40-50 km aeroid altitudes, where water vapor is generally at near-saturation conditions in this perihelion period (e.g. Millour et al., 2014). They exhibited notable absences during periods of planet encircling and regional dust storm activity in 2007 and 2009, respectively, presumably due to reduced water saturation conditions above 35-40 km altitudes associated with increased dust heating over the vertically extended atmosphere (e.g., Neary et al., 2019). PCT exhibit smaller particle sizes (R eff =0.2-0.5μm) than typically exhibited in the lower atmosphere, and incorporate significant fractions of available water vapor at these altitudes. PCT ice particles are inferred to form continuously (over ~4 hours) at their PCT eastern origins, associated with localized updrafts, and are entrained in upper level zonal/meridional winds (towards W or WSW with ~50 m/sec speeds at 40-50 km altitudes) to create long, linear cloud trails. PCT cloud formation is apparently forced in the lower atmosphere (≤10-15 km) by strong updrafts associated with distinctive topographic gradients, such as simulated in mesoscale studies (e.g., Tyler and Barnes, 2015) and indicated by the surface-specific PCT locations. These lower scale height updrafts are proposed to generate vertically propagating gravity waves (GW), leading to PCT formation above ~40 km altitudes where water vapor saturation conditions promote vigorous cloud ice formation. Recent mapping of GW amplitudes at ~25 km altitudes, from Mars Climate Sounder 15 μm radiance variations (Heavens et al., 2020), in fact demonstrates close correspondences to the detailed spatial distributions of observed PCT, relative to other potential factors such as surface albedo and surface elevation (or related boundary layer depths).
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Affiliation(s)
- R Todd Clancy
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Michael J Wolff
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Nicholas G Heavens
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Philip B James
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Steven W Lee
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Brad J Sandor
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Bruce A Cantor
- Malin Space Science Systems, 5880 Pacific Center Blvd, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Michael C Malin
- Malin Space Science Systems, 5880 Pacific Center Blvd, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Daniel Tyler
- College of Earth Oceanic and Atmospheric Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Aymeric Spiga
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique/Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (LMD/IPSL), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, PSL Research University, France
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Spiga A, Forget F, Dolla B, Vinatier S, Melchiorri R, Drossart P, Gendrin A, Bibring JP, Langevin Y, Gondet B. Remote sensing of surface pressure on Mars with the Mars Express/OMEGA spectrometer: 2. Meteorological maps. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aymeric Spiga
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace; Paris France
| | - François Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace; Paris France
| | - Bastien Dolla
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique; Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace; Paris France
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Golombek MP, Grant JA, Parker TJ, Kass DM, Crisp JA, Squyres SW, Haldemann AFC, Adler M, Lee WJ, Bridges NT, Arvidson RE, Carr MH, Kirk RL, Knocke PC, Roncoli RB, Weitz CM, Schofield JT, Zurek RW, Christensen PR, Fergason RL, Anderson FS, Rice JW. Selection of the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2003je002074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. P. Golombek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. A. Grant
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies; National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution; Washington DC USA
| | - T. J. Parker
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - D. M. Kass
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. A. Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - A. F. C. Haldemann
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - M. Adler
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - W. J. Lee
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - N. T. Bridges
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - M. H. Carr
- U.S. Geological Survey; Menlo Park California USA
| | - R. L. Kirk
- U.S. Geological Survey; Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - P. C. Knocke
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - R. B. Roncoli
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | | | - J. T. Schofield
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - R. W. Zurek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - P. R. Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - R. L. Fergason
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - F. S. Anderson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. W. Rice
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
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Kass DM, Schofield JT, Michaels TI, Rafkin SCR, Richardson MI, Toigo AD. Analysis of atmospheric mesoscale models for entry, descent, and landing. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2003je002065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. M. Kass
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. T. Schofield
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - T. I. Michaels
- Department of Meteorology; San Jose State University; San Jose California USA
| | - S. C. R. Rafkin
- Department of Meteorology; San Jose State University; San Jose California USA
| | - M. I. Richardson
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - A. D. Toigo
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
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