Radio Science Refractivity Measurements With Mars Global Surveyor

Physics

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5405 Atmospheres (0343, 1060), 5435 Ionospheres (2459), 5445 Meteorology (3346), 5464 Remote Sensing

Scientific paper

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) radio occultation experiment has captured over fifteen thousand unique refractivity profiles of the martian atmosphere from the surface to 250 km. These refractivity profiles are primarily used to derive two standard data products: (1) profiles of temperature and pressure versus geopotential height from the surface to 40 km and (2) profiles of electron density from ~100--200 km. The initial refractivity profiles offer a new way to study the atmosphere over an extended altitude range. We use weighted least squares to decompose zonal variations for a subset of the MGS refractivity data (147 profiles from December 9--21, 2000, with Ls=87--92, latitude 67.5--69.5°N, and essentially fixed tLST=2.76--2.79 hours). The resulting amplitudes and phases for observed wave numbers 1--4 allow analysis of atmospheric structure at altitudes outside the range of the standard profiles. For example, the refractivity data contain the distinctive signature of an eastward propagating, wave 1, semidiurnal tidal mode at altitudes of 80--200 km, and suggest vertical motion of the atmosphere around the electron density peak. This finding is consistent with previous results [e.g., Bougher et al., 2004] but extends to a larger range of altitudes. Analysis of refractivity data from the neutral atmosphere reveals enhancements in amplitude for observed wave numbers 1--3 at altitudes of 10--50 km, with local maxima at 20--30 km. These may be associated with stationary Rossby waves. Comparison studies with the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Mars Climate Database (MCD) [Forget et al., 1999; Angelats i Coll et al., 2005] are currently underway, and there is generally good agreement between the MGS refractivity profiles and the MCD density profiles in the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere. We will compare MGS refractivity and MCD density zonal variations over the entire altitude range. References: [1] Bougher, et al., doi: 10.1029/2003JE002154; [2] Forget, et al., doi: 10.1029/1999JE001025; [3] Angelats i Coll, et al., doi: 10.1029/2004GL021368.

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