Abstract
We describe the use of Isca for the hierarchical modeling of Solar System planets, with particular attention paid to Earth, Mars, and Jupiter. Isca is a modeling framework for the construction and use of models of planetary atmospheres at varying degrees of complexity, from featureless model planets with an atmosphere forced by a thermal relaxation back to a specified temperature, through aquaplanets with no continents (or no ocean) with a simple radiation scheme, to near-comprehensive models with a multi-band radiation scheme, a convection scheme, and configurable continents and topography. By a judicious choice of parameters and parameterization schemes, the model may be configured for fairly arbitrary planets, with stellar radiation input determined by astronomical parameters, taking into account the planet’s obliquity and eccentricity. In this paper, we describe the construction and use of models at varying levels of complexity for Earth, Mars and Jupiter using the primitive equations and/or the shallow water equations.
Highlights
Planetary atmospheres are extremely diverse, even within our own Solar System
The obliquity, combined with the lack of oceans gives rise to quite strong seasons, so much so that when a pole is in darkness up to 30% of the atmosphere may be deposited on the surface giving a seasonal varying layer of solid carbon dioxide a meter or so thick
We may use a rather simple class of models that can be applied with minimal changes across a range of planetary atmosphere to understand the basic behavior as various parameters are changed, building up in complexity if we wish to study a particular planet in more detail
Summary
Planetary atmospheres are extremely diverse, even within our own Solar System. for example, tidally locked Mercury, in a 3:2 spin resonance [1], has an extremely thin atmosphere mainly of hydrogen and helium with virtually no greenhouse effect and surface temperatures ranging from 100 K to 700 K, whereas Venus has a carbon dioxide atmosphere over 90 times thicker than that of Earth. We propose that, as has been implemented to some degree already for Earth (for a discussion, see [10]), a hierarchical approach will be useful In such an approach, we may use a rather simple class of models that can be applied with minimal changes across a range of planetary atmosphere to understand the basic behavior as various parameters (e.g., rotation rate) are changed, building up in complexity if we wish to study a particular planet in more detail. As noted, a terrestrial planet and a close neighbor, and Jupiter a giant planet Taken together, they provide a useful introduction to our approach.
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