Computer Science – Sound
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agusm.p21a..06m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2009, abstract #P21A-06
Computer Science
Sound
5405 Atmospheres (0343, 1060)
Scientific paper
Polar vortices dominate the dynamics of the winter mid- and polar latitudes in the martian atmosphere as well as in the terrestrial stratosphere. Polar vortices have also been observed on Venus (Taylor, 2002), Jupiter (Orton, 2002), Saturn (Fletcher, 2008), and Titan (Teanby, 2008). Potential vorticity is the analysis quantity of choice for the terrestrial polar vortices because its vertical component distills the most important features of the wind and temperature fields into a single scalar variable; because it is a conserved tracer under adiabatic conditions; because it serves as the medium for Rossby waves; and because steep potential vorticity gradients are observed to be correlated with steep gradients in the concentrations of chemical species. Using potential vorticity derived from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) temperature soundings, we compare the structure of the martian polar vortices to those of the earth. We find that the northern martian winter polar vortex, just like its terrestrial conterpart, is bounded by a region of very steep potential vorticity gradients and is surrounded by a "surf zone", a region of low potential vorticity and very low potential vorticity gradients. The surf zone concept, as first described for the terrestrial stratosphere by McIntyre and Palmer (1983), implies persistent Rossby wave breaking. In the vicinity of the northern polar vortex, the TES data set provides some examples of local gradient reversals that are suggestive of wave breaking. There is also one case of possible large-scale wave breaking accompanied by an abrupt polar warming. The martian southern polar vortex, unlike its terrestrial counterpart and unlike the northern martian polar vortex, lacks a distinct boundary between the polar vortex and a surf zone. Instead, the potential vorticity field is highly disorganized with local gradient reversals throughout the middle and polar latitudes. In the zonal mean, the southern winter potential vorticity gradient ends up being relatively uniform, although it is somewhat enhanced near 60 degrees latitude.
Banfield Don
Conrath Barney J.
Gierasch Peter J.
McConnochie Timothy H.
Smith Masson D.
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