1. Update on Observations/Solsticial Pause
TAS-I/ESA Progress Meeting – 24th April 2012

2. New Dust Scenarios MY 24 through MY 30 are now available
7 years of 669 sols each
MY 24 is an “hybrid” scenario, built with part of MY 25 (until Ls=105°)
Each year is available in NetCDF format
Zonal means of equivalent visible total dust opacity at reference pressure of 610 Pa, extracted from the dust scenario NetCDF files

3. Dust at Meridiani: multi-instrument observations
Dust opacity extracted at Meridiani using a combination of THEMIS and MCS

4. Mars Solsticial Pause
Background: Surface pressure observations and assimilation of temperature fields suggest a “pause” in the baroclinic waves in the range Ls = 240° - 300°, near N. winter solstice
Less regional flushing storms which could affect Meridiani (See previous reports).
BUT : this was not simulated in GCMs
New : Theoretical explanation with LMD UK-GCM (Mulholland et al , in preparation) : This can be simulated with radiatively active clouds “altering the thermal structure of the atmosphere and decreasing the vertical shear of the westerly jet near the surface around solstice, and shifting the lower portion of the jet equatorwards”

5. Solstitial pause in baroclinic wave activity
Mars Solsticial Pause
Solstitial pause in baroclinic wave activity
62.5°N, MY24
Transient Temperature at 50 Pa, ~25 Km (TES data assimilation)
Transient Surface Pressure (TES data assimilation)
Lewis et al., Mulholland et al, 2012 (in preparation)

6. RMS Temperature (TES data assimilation) (2.5 km altitude)
Mars Solsticial Pause
RMS Temperature (TES data assimilation) (2.5 km altitude)

7. RMS Meridional Wind (TES data assimilation) (2.5 km altitude)
Mars Solsticial Pause
RMS Meridional Wind (TES data assimilation) (2.5 km altitude)

8. Mars Solsticial Pause
Background: Surface pressure observations and assimilation of temperature fields suggest a “pause” in the baroclinic waves in the range Ls = 240° - 300°, near N. winter solstice
Less regional flushing storms which could affect Meridiani (See previous reports).
BUT : this was not simulated in GCMs
New : Theoretical explanation with LMD UK-GCM (Mulholland et al , in preparation) : This can be simulated with radiatively active clouds “altering the thermal structure of the atmosphere and decreasing the vertical shear of the westerly jet near the surface around solstice, and shifting the lower portion of the jet equatorwards”

9. Theoretical confirmation of solsticial pause :
Near surface baroclinic waves activity in LMD/UK GCM
(RMS of Temperature at 2.5 km) Mulholland et al. 2012
Non active clouds Active clouds
tau = 0.2
MY 24
Scenario

10. Upcoming : work combining datasets from various instruments to better characterize dust activity
Moc Wide Angle Camera, MRO/MARCI etc… making use of new database at :
Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility
Ashima Research (Pasadena)
Ls: Mars year: