Abstract
AbstractGravity waves (GWs) are ubiquitous in the Martian atmosphere and critical for coupling the entire atmospheric system. Recent observations reveal a significant enhancement of thermospheric GW activity in global dust storm conditions, which could increase hydrogen escape. However, the source of these high‐altitude GWs and their link to the lower atmosphere are still unknown. We investigate detailed GW distributions and evolutions in three altitude ranges covering the lower, middle, and middle‐to‐upper transition layers (Lp, Mp, and Hp) of the Martian atmosphere based on multiyear observations from Mars Climate Sounder. The nighttime Mp‐layer GWs in the northern tropical region increase significantly after the peak time of regional dust storms, with potential energy 4 times larger than before or at other latitudes. These GWs correlate well with a zonally distributed detached dust layer during storm time, both of which may be generated by a tropical jet system. The upper atmospheric GWs observed during global dust storms are mainly excited in the Hp‐layer (∼50–70 km) above the main dust layer, except for Mars year 28 global dust storm, when the polar jet in the Mp‐layer (∼30–50 km) at high northern latitudes may be a major excitation source.
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