MARS METEOROLOGY Eve Halligan Science Education Consultant [email protected].

MARS METEOROLOGYEve HalliganScience Education [email protected]

MeteorologyBasicsWeather Warm-up!1.Please write down 2-3 characteristics of the atmosphere on Post-its

2.Share with your table/people next to you

3.What tools would Meteorologists on Earth use to study those characteristics?

4.Large Group Share – Share 1 Characteristic and the tool(s) used to study it (no repeats)

5.Which of these would be most useful to a weather forecaster?

Primary Atmospheric Characteristics

Temperature Pressure Wind – Speed & Direction … at multiple layers/heights AGL Humidity (water vapor/moisture content) Instability Precipitation Cloud cover Visibility Ascent/Descent – Rising motion/Subsidence

Observations, Measurements, Tools, & Data!

Weather Balloons

Surface Stations

Wind Profilers

Radar (surface & aircraft)

Satellite

Computer Models – Numerical Weather Prediction!

- Model Output Statistics: http://weather.unisys.com/mos/index.php

- Reliable surface observations!

Atmosphere

Air is a fluid & atmosphere behaves

much like a shallow pool of water

These wave motions are important

on Earth and other planets as well!

Topography can affect these wave

motions

Atmosphere

Yep. Mars has an atmosphere.

~95% CO2, ~3% N2, ~2% Ar; traces of O2, CO

Surface pressure ~0.006 atm (~1/100th Earth’s atmosphere)

Air Pressure

~1013.2 mb at sea level on Earth

That’s ~14.7 lbs/in2!

Pressure differences between different locations causes the air to move from H toward L (wind)

HH LL

What drives weather?

Discuss with your small groups

Transfer of Heat Energy

Weather Versus Climate

WeatherWeather The state of the atmosphere at any given time, including things such as temperature, pressure, precipitation, and cloud cover.

ClimateClimate The totality of weather over a long period of time at one place or over a region. Climate results from the accumulated impact of weather day after day.

Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)

The forecasting of the behavior of atmospheric disturbances by the numerical solution of the governing fundamental equations of hydrodynamics, subject to observed initial conditions.

NWP are the basis for most Global Climate Models

Model Output Statistics (MOS) is another useful tool to weather forecasters

Activity: Mars Meteorology

MARCI Weather Weekly Weather Report for Nov. 3-9, 2008

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11418

Curiosity Daily Weather: http://marsweather.com/data

Mars Mission Map: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/images/20081124a/MSL_4sites_globe.jpg

Discussion Q’s

o How would you rate the quality of the data?

o What observations can you make?

o How would you interpret these observations?

o What could you say about Mars from this data set?

o Can you use previous mission data to make a generalization?

o What can you say we know about Mars at this point? How certain are you?

o What questions would you ask about Mars’ atmosphere/weather?

o How would you attempt to answer these questions?

o What are limitations to this type of mission (lander/instruments)?

Extensions

Connecting to MSL/CuriosityoRover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Information (including data graphs and latest REMS news): http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/environsensors/rems/

oMars Weather from REMS: http://marsweather.com/data

oMars Weather on Twitter (@MarsWxReport): https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport

oIn the News: http://science.time.com/2013/07/23/revealed-how-mars-lost-its-atmosphere/ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1461

http://spaceref.com/mars/mars-water-ice-clouds-lead-to-twice-daily-temperature-change.html

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1072

Dust Devils on Mars?!

Credit: NASA

Modern ExplorationPhoenix

Launched August 4, 2007; landed on May 25, 2008 on the northern arctic plains

Operated for ~6 months; unlike the MER rovers, Phoenix had no chance of surviving more than 6-7 months

Rotation & Revolution

One Martian day (sol) is 24 hours and 37 minutes

One Martian year is 687 Earth days, almost two Earth years

Seasons

Like Earth, Mars tiltsThis tilt contributes to seasons; orbit also contributes

Martian Year means Seasons are twice as long!

Mars is Cold

Average temp: -63° C (-81° F); max & min varyMars has a LARGE diurnal (daily) temperature variation