Abstract
We have assimilated for the first time SPICAM retrievals of total ozone into a Martian global circulation model to provide a global reanalysis of the ozone cycle. Disagreement in total ozone between model prediction and assimilation is observed between 45°S–10°S from LS=135–180° and at northern polar (60°N–90°N) latitudes during northern fall (LS=150–195°). Large percentage differences in total ozone at northern fall polar latitudes identified through the assimilation process are linked with excessive northward transport of water vapour west of Tharsis and over Arabia Terra. Modelling biases in water vapour can also explain the underestimation of total ozone between 45°S–10°S from LS=135–180°. Heterogeneous uptake of odd hydrogen radicals are unable to explain the outstanding underestimation of northern polar total ozone in late northern fall.Assimilation of total ozone retrievals results in alterations of the modelled spatial distribution of ozone in the southern polar winter high altitude ozone layer. This illustrates the potential use of assimilation methods in constraining total ozone where SPICAM cannot observe, in a region where total ozone is especially important for potential investigations of the polar dynamics.
Highlights
Observations and modelling of ozone have the potential to greatly improve our understanding of the Martian atmosphere
In this paper we investigate the effect of total ozone assimilation using SPICAM data on improving our understanding of the ozone cycle
The primary loss mechanisms for ozone are negligible, as photolysis cannot occur and the cold temperatures result in minimal water vapour concentration and a minimal presence of odd hydrogen species
Summary
Observations and modelling of ozone have the potential to greatly improve our understanding of the Martian atmosphere. Data assimilation is becoming an increasingly reliable technique for the input of observations into a GCM to study a variety of topics (Lewis and Barker, 2005; Lewis et al, 2007; Montabone et al, 2006; Hoffman et al, 2012; Greybush et al, 2012; Navarro et al, 2014a; Steele et al, 2014a,b) The majority of these publications use retrievals from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) aboard the Mars Global Surveyor due primarily to the wealth, and good spatial coverage, of these observations (Conrath et al, 2000). The assimilation of total ozone can be used to inform future investigations on the best observing strategy for upcoming missions such as the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and provide a comprehensive analysis, constrained by satellite observations, of the ozone cycle on Mars.
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