Interannual similarity in the Martian atmosphere during the dust storm season. Issue 12 (27th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kass, D. M.; Kleinböhl, A.; McCleese, D. J.; Schofield, J. T.; Smith, M. D.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 43:Issue 12(2016)
• Page Start: 6111
• Page End: 6118
• Publication Date: 2016-06-27
• Subjects: Mars Climate Sounder -- regional dust storms -- Temperature; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068978
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: We find that during the dusty season on Mars (southern spring and summer) of years without a global dust storm there are three large regional‐scale dust storms. The storms are labeled A, B, and C in seasonal order. This classification is based on examining the zonal mean 50 Pa (∼25 km) daytime temperature retrievals from TES/MGS and MCS/MRO over 6 Mars Years. Regional‐scale storms are defined as events where the temperature exceeds 200 K. Examining the MCS dust field at 50 Pa indicates that warming in the Southern Hemisphere is dominated by direct heating, while northern high latitude warming is a dynamical response. A storms are springtime planet encircling Southern Hemisphere events. B storms are southern polar events that begin near perihelion and last through the solstice. C storms are southern summertime events starting well after the end of the B storm. C storms show the most interannual variability. Key Points: Three large regional‐scale dust storms, labeled A, B, and C, occur each Mars Year without a global storm Large regional‐scale dust storms show interannual repeatability Atmospheric temperature response to dust storms is more repeatable than dust lifting in imaging