Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 1979
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1979georl...6..405g&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 6, May 1979, p. 405-408.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
6
Cloud Cover, Mars Atmosphere, Astronomical Models, Atmospheric Circulation, Atmospheric Models, Dynamic Stability, Spaceborne Astronomy, Spirals, Summer, Clouds, Mars, Atmosphere, Viking Orbiter, Imagery, Carbon Dioxide, Models, Evolution, Seasons, Wind
Scientific paper
Viking Orbiter images obtained during the 1978 northern summer on Mars show unusual spiral cloud patterns at high northern latitudes. Well-developed spirals occurred only during early summer at a time when the sublimation of the annual CO2 frost cap in the north had ceased. The systems ranged in size from 200 to 500 km and all spirals were wound in a counter-clockwise sense. An explanation is proposed, based on the radiatively driven instability described by Gierasch, Ingersoll, and Williams. The model predicts disturbances with the correct scale and lifetime. However, the successful development of the spirals depends on the existence of weak mean winds, suggesting that these instabilities can only develop at special null points in the general circulation. It is argued that such special circumstances are most likely to occur during early northern summer and are less likely to obtain at a comparable season in the Southern Hemisphere.
French Richard G.
Gierasch Peter J.
Thomas Patrick
Veverka Joe
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