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Thermal structure of the atmospheric boundary layer on Mars based on Mini‐TES observations
Author(s) -
Sorbjan Zbigniew,
Wolff Michael,
Smith Michael D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.510
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , martian , boundary layer , martian surface , planetary boundary layer , thermal , convective boundary layer , mars landing , atmosphere of mars , heat flux , atmospheric sciences , geology , convection , astrobiology , environmental science , meteorology , exploration of mars , aerospace engineering , heat transfer , mechanics , physics , engineering
This paper presents and discusses the vertical profiles of the potential temperature in the Martian boundary layer. The profiles were remotely sensed from on‐board the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover during the first 702 sols of its operation in 2004–2005. The rover carried the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini‐TES), which allowed it to retrieve temperature profiles up to a level 2 km above the ground surface. The data analysed here permit a reconstruction of the diurnal and seasonal structure of the lower part of the Martian convective boundary layer, an evaluation of the boundary layer depth, and a computation of the temperature heat flux. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society