Open AccessInfluence of gravity waves on the Martian atmosphere: General circulation modeling
Author(s) -
Medvedev Alexander S.,
Yiğit Erdal,
Hartogh Paul,
Becker Erich
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2011je003848
Subject(s) - thermosphere , martian , atmospheric sciences , zonal and meridional , gravity wave , atmospheric circulation , mesosphere , atmosphere (unit) , meridional flow , atmosphere of mars , geology , northern hemisphere , hadley cell , atmospheric model , climatology , geophysics , mars exploration program , general circulation model , physics , gravitational wave , stratosphere , ionosphere , meteorology , climate change , astrobiology , oceanography , astrophysics
Our recently developed nonlinear spectral gravity wave (GW) parameterization has been implemented into a Martian general circulation model (GCM) that has been extended to ∼130 km height. The simulations reveal a very strong influence of subgrid‐scale GWs with non‐zero phase velocities in the upper mesosphere (100–130 km). The momentum deposition provided by breaking/saturating/dissipating GWs of lower atmospheric origin significantly decelerate the zonal wind, and even produce jet reversals similar to those observed in the terrestrial mesosphere and lower thermosphere. GWs also weaken the meridional wind, transform the two‐cell meridional equinoctial circulation to a one‐cell summer‐to‐winter hemisphere transport, and modify the zonal‐mean temperature by up to ±15 K. Especially large temperature changes occur over the winter pole, where GW‐altered meridional circulation enhances both “middle” and “upper” atmosphere maxima by up to 25 K. A series of sensitivity tests demonstrates that these results are not an artefact of a poorly constrained GW scheme, but must be considered as robust features of the Martian atmospheric dynamics.