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gfdl's home page > gfdl on-line bibliography > 2000: Geophysical Research Letters, 27(23), 3889-3892

Evidence for diurnal period Kelvin waves in the Martial atmosphere from Mars Global Surveyor TES data

Wilson, R. J., 2000: Evidence for diurnal period Kelvin waves in the Martial atmosphere from Mars Global Surveyor TES data. Geophysical Research Letters, 27(23), 3889-3892.
Abstract: Midlevel (~25 km) atmospheric temperatures derived from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) spectra indicate the presence of stationary waves and thermal tides. Stationary waves are prominent at middle to high latitudes where westerly zonal flow is indicated by the meridional temperature gradient. Longitudinal variability within 30°S to 30°N is dominated by topographically-forced nonmigrating thermal tides that have westward and eastward propagating components. The MGS mapping data are available at two fixed local times so that is it not possible to distinguish between these components or isolate the sun-synchronous tide. A comparison with Mars general circulation model (MGCM) simulations suggests that the observed wave patterns are consistent with the presence of eastward propagating, diurnal period Kelvin waves with zonal wavenumbers one and two. These waves can propagate to great heights and may account for observed zonal variations in thermospheric density.
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last modified: March 22 2004.