Download Mars Basics

MARS METEOROLOGY
Eve Halligan
Science Education Consultant
[email protected]
Meteorology
Basics
Weather Warm-up!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Please write down 2-3
characteristics of the atmosphere
on Post-its
Share with your table/people next
to you
What tools would Meteorologists
on Earth use to study those
characteristics?
Large Group Share – Share 1
Characteristic and the tool(s) used
to study it (no repeats)
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)
H
L
What drives weather?
 Discuss with your small groups
Transfer of Heat Energy
Weather Versus Climate
Weather
The state of the atmosphere at any given time, including things such as
temperature, pressure, precipitation, and cloud cover.
Climate
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/Curiosity
o
Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Information
(including data graphs and latest REMS news):
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/environsensors/rems/
o
Mars Weather from REMS: http://marsweather.com/data
o
Mars Weather on Twitter (@MarsWxReport):
https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport
o
In 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&News
ID=1461
http://spaceref.com/mars/mars-water-ice-clouds-lead-to-twice-daily-temperaturechange.html
Dust Devils on Mars?!
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1072
Credit: NASA
Modern Exploration
Phoenix
 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 tilts
This 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 vary
 Mars has a LARGE diurnal (daily) temperature variation