According to a new study by planetary researchers at Tokyo Planet University, atmospheric gravity waves play an important role in driving airflows, particularly at altitudes, at latitudes.
This image from the Emirates Mars Mission shows Mars and its thin atmosphere. Image credit: UAESA/MBRSC/HOPE MARS MISSION/EXI/ANDREALUCK.
“On Earth, the large atmospheric waves caused by the rotation of a planet known as the Rossby waves are the main effect on the way stratospheric air circulates, or the lower part of the medium atmosphere.”
“However, our research shows that on Mars, gravitational waves have the dominant effect in the mid-atmosphere and at high latitudes.”
“Rossby's waves are large atmospheric or resolved waves, while gravitational waves are unresolved waves, meaning that they must be estimated using finer, more indirect means to be measured or modeled.”
“Don't confuse it with gravitational waves from the body of a large star. Gravitational waves are atmospheric phenomena when packets of air rise and fall due to buoyancy fluctuations. Their oscillating movements cause gravitational waves.”
Due to their small-scale nature and limitations of observational data, planetary researchers previously discovered that it is difficult to quantify their importance in the Martian atmosphere.
Therefore, Professor Sato and her colleagues turned to the Ensemble Mars Atmosphere Reanalysis System (EMARS) dataset generated by various space-based observations over the years to analyze seasonal variation.
“We found something interesting. Gravitational waves promote the rapid vertical movement of angular momentum, which has a major impact on the meridian or north-north in the mid-atmospheric circulation on Mars,” said Anzu Asumi, a graduate student at Tokyo University.
“It's interesting because it's more like the behavior seen in the Earth's mesosphere, not in our stratosphere.”
“This suggests that the effects of these waves may need to be better incorporated to improve existing Mars atmospheric circulation models, and could improve future climate and weather simulations.”
The team is currently planning to investigate the effects of Mars sandstorms on atmospheric circulation.
“So far, our analysis has focused on a year without large sandstorms,” Professor Sato said.
“However, I think these storms could dramatically change the state of the atmosphere and strengthen the role of gravitational waves in circulation.”
“In our research, there is a basis for predicting Mars weather, which is essential to guarantee the success of future Mars missions.”
study It will be displayed in Journal of Journal Geophysics: Planets.
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Anzu Asumi et al. Climatology of the residual average circulation of the Martian atmosphere and the contribution of solutions and unresolved waves based on reanalysis datasets. Journal of Journal Geophysics: PlanetsPublished online on March 6th, 2025. doi:10.1029/2023je008137
Source: www.sci.news
