Abstract
In this study, we perform spectral analysis of Martian near-surface turbulence using the in-situ observations by NASA's InSight lander on Mars. A recent study on the daytime Martian boundary layer using the InSight observations showed that the conventional Kolmogorov energy cascade of inertial subrange fails to predict the spectral density of pressure (Banfield et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0544-y). Here we extend this by investigating diurnal and seasonal variations in the spectral density of pressure, as the indicator of the Martian atmospheric turbulence. We show distinct spectral behaviors for the daytime and nighttime conditions. Moreover, we report the important effects of regional dust storms, gravity waves (GWs), bore, and solitary waves on the turbulent energy cascade. Our results show that the presence of a dust storm and GW activity can enhance the turbulence of the nighttime boundary layer of Mars despite the extreme stably stratified conditions compared to the terrestrial case.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2022GL099388 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Aug 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was financially supported by Grant 12ZZL20N (to OT) of the Research Foundation Flanders. CBS was supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) via Chicxulub BRAIN-be (Belgian Research Action through Interdisciplinary Networks) project. AS and NM thank CNES and ANR (ANR-19-CE31-0008-08) for their support. OK acknowledges the support of the BELSPO through the ESA/PRODEX Program. We acknowledge NASA, CNES, partner agencies and Institutions (UKSA, SSO, DLR, JPL, IPGP-CNRS, ETHZ, IC, MPS-MPG, ISAE), and the operators of JPL, SISMOC, MSDS, IRIS-DMC, and PDS for providing SEED data. This paper is InSight Contribution Number 225.
Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by Grant 12ZZL20N (to OT) of the Research Foundation Flanders. CBS was supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) via Chicxulub BRAIN‐be (Belgian Research Action through Interdisciplinary Networks) project. AS and NM thank CNES and ANR (ANR‐19‐CE31‐0008‐08) for their support. OK acknowledges the support of the BELSPO through the ESA/PRODEX Program. We acknowledge NASA, CNES, partner agencies and Institutions (UKSA, SSO, DLR, JPL, IPGP‐CNRS, ETHZ, IC, MPS‐MPG, ISAE), and the operators of JPL, SISMOC, MSDS, IRIS‐DMC, and PDS for providing SEED data. This paper is InSight Contribution Number 225.
Publisher Copyright:
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