Abstract
AbstractThe radiative impact of water ice clouds on the atmosphere of Mars is analyzed via a reanalysis of Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) temperature and ice opacity profiles. Polar hood clouds only have a small radiative impact, while tropical clouds increase diurnally averaged temperatures at the 10 Pa level by ∼10–15 K. Cloud radiative heating strengthens the meridional overturning circulation, increasing temperatures in the polar warmings by ∼6–8 K and temperatures in the tropics by ∼2 K (due to increased dust mass). The positions and wind speeds of the tropical and high‐latitude jets are also modified through changes to the meridional temperature gradients. An effective ice particle radius of reff=1.4μm produces temperatures around the aphelion cloud belt in close agreement to MCS temperature retrievals. For high‐altitude tropical clouds during northern autumn, a better agreement is found using reff=0.8μm.
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