Improved Understanding of Dust Distribution and Cap Edge Processes via Data Assimilation

Details Improved Understanding of Dust Distribution and Cap Edge Processes via Data Assimilation Improved Understanding of Dust Distribution and Cap Edge Processes via Data Assimilation

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p24a..06r&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P24A-06

Computer Science

Sound

[5405] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Atmospheres, [5464] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Remote Sensing, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars, Data Assimilation

Scientific paper

Modern ensemble Data Assimilation (DA) methods enable the use of observational data to quantitatively measure model bias and error. Given that models are the quantitative representation of our understanding of the atmosphere, DA provides a vastly more efficient and accurate way to extract maximum information from from the data by guiding model development and correction. Once a model is able to reproduce the background climate of the atmosphere, DA can then further be used to globally extrapolate the limited spacecraft observations for a variety of other purposes. We have built a Martian DA system based upon the NCAR DART system, and which is publicly available - http://www.marsclimatecenter.com Here, we report on assimilation of radiance observations from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer and comparison of inferred dust distributions with the Mars Climate Sounder retrievals and camera images. Our results show that radiative forcing based on the Mars Climate Database dust prescription, which is itself an improvement on the long-standard Conrath profile, tends to over predict instability through the column. Instead, the assimilated TES observations suggest relatively more dust above roughly 15 km and less below. This inference is in agreement with MCS dust observations, which show a dust mass mixing ratio maximum near the top of the boundary layer. The assimilation also suggests that the dust prescription underestimates dust over the cap edges. This is consistent with MOC and MARCI observations of cap edge dust lifting. Finally, the assimilation of radiances allows a fine test of the description of the surface distribution of seasonal ice - effectively allowing the evolving surface optical and thermal properties to be 'retrieved' via assimilation of radiances dominated by surface emission. Such a model correction is not possible if only retrieved atmospheric temperatures are used instead of radiances from the atmosphere and surface.

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