First estimations of Gravity Wave Potential Energy in the Martian thermosphere: An analysis using MAVEN NGIMS data

TL;DR

This study estimates gravity wave potential energy in Mars' thermosphere using MAVEN NGIMS data, revealing seasonal and diurnal variations that impact atmospheric dynamics and potential landing operations.

Contribution

First estimation of Martian thermospheric GWPE using MAVEN data, highlighting seasonal and diurnal patterns relevant for atmospheric and mission planning.

Findings

GWPE peaks post sunset in summer diurnal cycle

GWPE doubles with increasing latitude during summer

Autumn GWPE is significantly higher at night, lower during day

Abstract

First estimations of Gravity Wave Potential Energy (GWPE) for the Martian thermosphere are reported herein using the height profile of CO2 density derived temperature fluctuations for different Martian seasons during the 33rd Martian year. Explicit diurnal evolution of GWPE (for 52o to 73o latitude bin) with a post sunset maximum is delineated for summer. The higher values of GWPE are observed during morning, compared to post mid-night (35 o to 55 o latitude bin) for summer. As the latitude increases from 16 o to 45 o, GWPE (1-4 LT bin) is found to be nearly doubled for summer. Further, GWPE estimates in autumn are 6 times higher during night compared to day (-45 o to -72 o latitude bin) and daytime ( -53 o to -72 o latitude bin) GWPE is much lower in autumn compared to spring for all longitudes. Overall, from the available data autumn (with respect to northern hemisphere) daytime periods appear better suited for aero-braking operations of Martian landing missions.