Investigation of the vertical coupling by gravity waves in the Martian atmosphere

垂直传播的重力波(GW)代表了一种主要的耦合机制，它提供了所有稳定层结的行星大气的下层和上层之间的连接。全球变暖是地球气候的重要组成部分。尽管火星上的GW幅度是地球上的几倍，但它们的重要性要么明显不足(至少在100公里以下)，要么还不清楚。这项研究的主要目的是调查和量化火星低、中、高层大气中的中尺度GWS在维持大气环流和大气各层之间的垂直耦合中的作用。这项研究将围绕两个相互交织的具体目标进行：1)研究GW在二氧化碳火星大气中的行为，包括它们的产生、传播和消散；2)了解和量化GW消散对火星大气的影响。后者包括大气环流的强迫、中层大气变率与沙尘暴的联系、中层大气云的形成以及当前火星大气科学中的其他问题。这项研究将使用我们的综合火星大气环流模型和最先进的光谱非线性GW参数化来进行。该模型将得到进一步改进，进行新的数值模拟，并将根据现有和未来的观测数据集，包括将于2013年发射的NASA MAVEN任务的数据集，对结果进行广泛测试。除了推进和测试我们对火星大气动力学的基本理解外，开发的建模工具将适用于其他行星，广泛适用于行星科学界，并可能通过显著改进大气阻力的预测来影响火星轨道器的管理。

Vertically propagating gravity waves (GWs) represent a major coupling mechanism that provides connections between lower and upper layers of all stably stratified planetary atmospheres. GWs are an essential component of the Earth climate. Although GW amplitudes are several times larger on Mars than on Earth, their significance is either apparently lacking (at least below 100 km), or not yet understood. The primary objective of this study is to investigate and quantify the role of meso-scale GWs in the Martian lower, middle and upper atmosphere, in maintaining the circulation, and in vertical coupling between atmospheric layers. The study will be organized around two intertwined specific goals: 1) to examine how GWs behave in the CO2 Martian atmosphere including their generation, propagation, and dissipation; and 2) to understand and quantify the influence of dissipating GWs on the atmosphere of Mars. The latter includes forcing of the general circulation, connection between the middle atmosphere variability and dust storms, formation of middle atmosphere clouds, and other current problems in Martian atmosphere science. The study will be performed using our comprehensive Martian general circulation model coupled with the state-of-the-art spectral nonlinear GW parameterization. The model will be further improved, novel numerical simulations performed, and results will be extensively tested against existing and future observational datasets, including those from the NASA MAVEN mission to be launched in 2013. Besides advancing and testing our fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, the developed modeling tools will be applicable for other planets, broadly available to the planetary science community, and potentially impact the management of Martian orbiters by significantly improving the forecast of the atmospheric drag.