Publication Date:
2013-08-31
Description:
Numerical simulations of the Martian near-surface wind regime using a mesoscale atmospheric model have shown that the thermally induced near-surface winds are analogous to terrestrial circulations. In particular, katabatic wind displays a striking similarity to flow observed over Antarctica. Introduction of solar radiation strongly perturbs the slope flows; anabatic conditions develop in middle to high latitudes during the daytime hours due to the solar heating of the sloping terrain. There appears to be a rapid transition from the katabatic to the anabatic flow regimes, emphasizing the primary importance of radiative exchanges at the surface in specifying the horizontal pressure gradient force.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
Lunar and Planetary Inst., Mars: Past, Present, and Future. Results from the MSATT Program, Part 1; p 35-39
Format:
application/pdf
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