Laboratoire De Meteorologie Dynamique Research Articles

Exploring the variability of the venusian thermosphere with the IPSL Venus GCM

Recent simulations of the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL) Venus Global Climate Model (VGCM) developed at the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) were performed with a model top raised from ∼10−5 (∼150 km) to ∼10−8 Pa (180–250 km; upper boundary). The parameterizations of non-LTE CO2 near infrared heating rates and of non-orographic gravity waves were improved. In addition, a tuning of atomic oxygen production was introduced to improve related effects (heating and cooling) and resulting thermospheric number densities. This work focusses on validating the modelled thermospheric structure using data from the Pioneer Venus, Magellan and Venus Express missions which cover similar and complementary (equator and pole) regions at different periods of solar activity, typically above altitudes of 130 km. This version of the IPSL VGCM shows good agreement with the diurnal evolution of the exospheric temperature at the equator reconstructed from the atomic oxygen scale height of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer data. The model is also able to reproduce the sensitivity of the exospheric temperature and species density to the EUV flux of the solar high activity period (from 180 to 230 solar flux unit; s.f.u). However, to fit with the PV-ONMS density observations, it was necessary to increase the photodissociation of CO2 into CO and O above 135 km by a factor of 10. Indeed, our study points to the importance of an additional source of oxygen and carbon monoxide production above 130 km other than CO2 photolysis to explain the vertical profiles of CO and O number density in the thermosphere. Moreover, the presence of a GW drag at altitudes above 140 km has a significant impact on the nightside temperature value and its distribution.

Thermal Tides in the Martian Atmosphere Near Northern Summer Solstice Observed by ACS/TIRVIM Onboard TGO

AbstractThermal tides in the Martian atmosphere are analyzed using temperature profiles retrieved from nadir observations obtained by the TIRVIM Fourier‐spectrometer, part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The data is selected near the northern summer solstice at solar longitude (LS) 75°–105° of Martian Year 35. The observations have a full local time coverage, which enables analyses of daily temperature anomalies. The observed zonal mean temperature is lower by 4–6 K at ∼100 Pa, but higher toward the summer pole, compared to the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars General Circulation Model (GCM). Wave mode decomposition shows dominant diurnal tide and important semi‐diurnal tide and diurnal Kelvin wave, with maximal amplitudes of 5, 3, and 2.5 K, respectively, from tens to hundreds of Pa. The results generally agree well with the LMD Mars GCM, but with noticeable earlier phases of diurnal (∼1 hr) and semi‐diurnal (∼3 hr) tides.

Observations of Mars with ALMA: potential for future constraints of global circulation models

Validation of global climate models (GCMs) for planets in our solar system requires observational data, but observations from the orbit of Mars and its surface are limited in number and are constrained by their orbit or landing site. Ground-based observations of Mars can help by providing data across the entire Martian hemisphere, yet historically, ground-based observations at submillimeter wavelengths have been limited to disk-average, or at best, a few resolution elements across Mars. We used Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of Mars to determine the spatial distribution of carbon monoxide in the Martian atmosphere, which can be related to the atmospheric temperature. ALMA’s comparably high spatial and spectral resolutions in the submillimeter wavelengths could allow the mapping of abundances and temperature profiles, and the comparison of these data to simulations generated by the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars GCM. However, the long baselines associated with the high spatial resolution of ALMA introduced systematic errors that resulted in radiative transfer modeling degeneracies. We serve to provide insight to facilitate proposed ALMA observations of Mars in the future so that the systematic errors encountered within these observations might be avoided.

Venus Atmospheric Dynamics at Two Altitudes: Akatsuki and Venus Express Cloud Tracking, Ground-Based Doppler Observations and Comparison with Modelling

We present new results of our studies of zonal and meridional winds in both hemispheres of Venus, using ground- and space-based coordinated observations. The results obtained from telescope observations were retrieved with a Doppler velocimetry method. The wind velocities retrieved from space used an improved cloud-tracked technique based on the phase correlation between images. We present evidence that the altitude level sensed by our Doppler velocimetry method is approximately four kilometres higher (~4 km) than that using ground-tracked winds (using 380 or 365 nm). Since we often take advantage of coordinated space and ground observations simultaneously, this altitude difference will be very relevant in order to estimate the vertical wind shear at the related heights in future observation campaigns. We also explored a previous coordinated campaign using Akatsuki observations and its Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) at 283 and 365 nm filters, which showed that cloud-tracked winds showed a difference of about 10–15 ms−1, as in the case of the comparison between the Doppler velocimetry winds and the 365 nm cloudtracked winds. The results’ comparison also strongly suggested that the cloud-tracked winds based on the 283 nm filter’s images were sensing at about the same atmospheric altitude level as the Doppler winds. The observational results were compared with the ground-to-thermosphere 3D model developed at the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (IPSL-Venus General Circulation Model (VGCM)) and AFES-Venus General Circulation Model (GCM), at several pressure levels (and related heights). The analysis and results showed the following: (1) additional confirmation of the coherence and complementarity in the results provided by these techniques on both the spatial and temporal time scales of the two methods; (2) we noticed in the following that the results from the two different Akatsuki/UVI filters (283 and 365 nm) showed an average difference of about 10–15 ± 5 ms−1, and we suggest this may be related to SO2 atmospheric fluctuations and the particular conditions in the coordinated observing time window; (3) we present evidence indicating that, in the context of our observations, visible Doppler methods (highly self-consistent) seem to sense wind speeds at a vertical level closer to or within the range sensed by the UVI 283 nm filter images (again, in the context of our observations); (4) modelling predicted wind profiles suggests that the layers of the atmosphere of Venus sensed by the methods referred to in Point 3 differ by approximately four km in altitude (~4 ± 2 km) regarding the cloud-tracked winds retrieved using 365 or 380 nm images.

Impact of Gravity Waves on the Middle Atmosphere of Mars: A Non‐Orographic Gravity Wave Parameterization Based on Global Climate Modeling and MCS Observations

AbstractThe impact of gravity waves (GW) on diurnal tides and the global circulation in the middle/upper atmosphere of Mars is investigated using a general circulation model (GCM). We have implemented a stochastic parameterization of non‐orographic GW into the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars GCM (LMD‐MGCM) following an innovative approach. The source is assumed to be located above typical convective cells ( 250 Pa), and the effect of GW on the circulation and predicted thermal structure above 1 Pa ( 50 km) is analyzed. We focus on the comparison between model simulations and observations by the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during Martian Year 29. MCS data provide the only systematic measurements of the Martian mesosphere up to 80 km to date. The primary effect of GW is to damp the thermal tides by reducing the diurnal oscillation of the meridional and zonal winds. The GW drag reaches magnitudes of the order of 1 m/s/sol above 10 Pa in the northern hemisphere winter solstice and produces major changes in the zonal wind field (from tens to hundreds of m/s), while the impact on the temperature field is relatively moderate (10–20 K). It suggests that GW‐induced alteration of the meridional flow is the main responsible for the simulated temperature variation. The results also show that with the GW scheme included, the maximum day‐night temperature difference due to the diurnal tide is around 10 K, and the peak of the tide is shifted toward lower altitudes, in better agreement with MCS observations.

Development of an ensemble data assimilation system with LMDZ5 AGCM for regional reanalysis

The present study describes a newly developed LMDZ–DART data assimilation system based on the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) with a stretched grid atmospheric model and evaluates the potential of the system for generating high-resolution reanalysis products over the Indian region. This system is composed using the LMDZ5 (Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, Zoom, version 5) global atmospheric model, the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), and a set of interface routines. The interface routines enable assimilation of observations with the model using the EnKF assimilation method. The stretched grid capability of the LMDZ5 model has been utilized to generate computationally efficient high-resolution experimental reanalysis data over the Indian region. The assimilation experiments have been conducted for 4 months during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) period using LMDZ–DART system with two different configurations: REG (1° × 1° regular grid size over the globe) and ZOOM (~ 0.35° × 35° over the Indian region and coarser resolution outside). The results of the assimilation experiments are validated by comparing with observations as well as with an independent atmospheric reanalysis (ERA-Interim). It has been found that LMDZ–DART system is robust and reliable throughout the investigated ISM period for both REG and ZOOM configurations. In the REG experiment, spatial patterns and magnitude of the global fields portray a high degree of resemblance with ERA-Interim. The spatial patterns are also well reproduced in the ZOOM reanalysis. However, at some places outside the zoom area, the differences of the ZOOM reanalysis with ERA-Interim are slightly higher than the regular grid. Over the Indian region, the ZOOM configuration provides higher quality analysis and better regional features than REG. These results thus provide confidence in the stretched grid LMDZ–DART system to serve as a basis for generating computationally economical high-resolution regional reanalysis.

Impact of surface Albedo on Martian photochemistry

Solar energy is the primary driving force behind a planet’s climate system, and surface albedo plays a key role in determining the energy budget of the planet. Coupling the Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR) with the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM) to create a new coupled model leads to an approximately 4% drop in the net CO2 ice deposition on Mars. Newly simulated surface albedo affects the concentration of gaseous species in the Martian atmosphere (condensation-sublimation cycle). The new set-up also impacts the solar energy available in the atmosphere. These two effects together lead to subsequent and significant changes in other chemical species in the Martian atmosphere. Compared with results of the MGCM model alone, in the new coupled model CO2 (gas) and O3 show a drop of about 1.17% and 8.59% in their respective concentrations, while H2O (vapor) and CO show an increase of about 13.63% and 0.56% in their respective concentrations. Among trace species, OH shows a maximum increase of about 29.44%, while the maximum drop of 11.5% is observed in the O concentration. Photochemically neutral species such as Ar and N2 remain unaffected by the albedo changes.

Inter-model comparison of global hydroxyl radical (OH) distributions and their impact on atmospheric methane over the 2000–2016 period

Abstract. The modeling study presented here aims to estimate how uncertainties in global hydroxyl radical (OH) distributions, variability, and trends may contribute to resolving discrepancies between simulated and observed methane (CH4) changes since 2000. A multi-model ensemble of 14 OH fields was analyzed and aggregated into 64 scenarios to force the offline atmospheric chemistry transport model LMDz (Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique) with a standard CH4 emission scenario over the period 2000–2016. The multi-model simulated global volume-weighted tropospheric mean OH concentration ([OH]) averaged over 2000–2010 ranges between 8.7×105 and 12.8×105 molec cm−3. The inter-model differences in tropospheric OH burden and vertical distributions are mainly determined by the differences in the nitrogen oxide (NO) distributions, while the spatial discrepancies between OH fields are mostly due to differences in natural emissions and volatile organic compound (VOC) chemistry. From 2000 to 2010, most simulated OH fields show an increase of 0.1–0.3×105 molec cm−3 in the tropospheric mean [OH], with year-to-year variations much smaller than during the historical period 1960–2000. Once ingested into the LMDz model, these OH changes translated into a 5 to 15 ppbv reduction in the CH4 mixing ratio in 2010, which represents 7 %–20 % of the model-simulated CH4 increase due to surface emissions. Between 2010 and 2016, the ensemble of simulations showed that OH changes could lead to a CH4 mixing ratio uncertainty of >±30 ppbv. Over the full 2000–2016 time period, using a common state-of-the-art but nonoptimized emission scenario, the impact of [OH] changes tested here can explain up to 54 % of the gap between model simulations and observations. This result emphasizes the importance of better representing OH abundance and variations in CH4 forward simulations and emission optimizations performed by atmospheric inversions.

Parameterization of Rocket Dust Storms on Mars in the LMD Martian GCM: Modeling Details and Validation

AbstractThe origin of the detached dust layers observed by the Mars Climate Sounder aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is still debated. Spiga et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20046) revealed that deep mesoscale convective “rocket dust storms” are likely to play an important role in forming these dust layers. To investigate how the detached dust layers are generated by this mesoscale phenomenon and subsequently evolve at larger scales, a parameterization of rocket dust storms to represent the mesoscale dust convection is designed and included into the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Martian Global Climate Model (GCM). The new parameterization allows dust particles in the GCM to be transported to higher altitudes than in traditional GCMs. Combined with the horizontal transport by large‐scale winds, the dust particles spread out and form detached dust layers. During the Martian dusty seasons, the LMD GCM with the new parameterization is able to form detached dust layers. The formation, evolution, and decay of the simulated dust layers are largely in agreement with the Mars Climate Sounder observations. This suggests that mesoscale rocket dust storms are among the key factors to explain the observed detached dust layers on Mars. However, the detached dust layers remain absent in the GCM during the clear seasons, even with the new parameterization. This implies that other relevant atmospheric processes, operating when no dust storms are occurring, are needed to explain the Martian detached dust layers. More observations of local dust storms could improve the ad hoc aspects of this parameterization, such as the trigger and timing of dust injection.

Improvement of Mars Surface Snow Albedo Modeling in LMD Mars GCM With SNICAR

AbstractThe current version of Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars GCM (original‐MGCM) uses annually repeating (prescribed) CO2 snow albedo values based on the Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations. We integrate the Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR) model with MGCM (SNICAR‐MGCM) to prognostically determine H2O and CO2 snow albedos interactively in the model. Using the new diagnostic capabilities of this model, we find that cryospheric surfaces (with dust) increase the global surface albedo of Mars by 0.022. Over snow‐covered regions, SNICAR‐MGCM simulates mean albedo that is higher by about 0.034 than prescribed values in the original‐MGCM. Globally, shortwave flux into the surface decreases by 1.26 W/m2, and net CO2 snow deposition increases by about 4% with SNICAR‐MGCM over one Martian annual cycle as compared to the original‐MGCM simulations. SNICAR integration reduces the mean global surface temperature and the surface pressure of Mars by about 0.87% and 2.5%, respectively. Changes in albedo also show a similar distribution to dust deposition over the globe. The SNICAR‐MGCM model generates albedos with higher sensitivity to surface dust content as compared to original‐MGCM. For snow‐covered regions, we improve the correlation between albedo and optical depth of dust from −0.91 to −0.97 with SNICAR‐MGCM as compared to the original‐MGCM. Dust substantially darkens Mars's cryosphere, thereby reducing its impact on the global shortwave energy budget by more than half, relative to the impact of pure snow.

CH4 IPDA Lidar mission data simulator and processor for MERLIN: prototype development at LMD/CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique

The MEthane Remote sensing Lidar missioN (MERLIN), currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development of a spatial Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) LIDAR (LIght Detecting And Ranging) to conduct global observations of atmospheric methane. This presentation will focus on the status of a LIDAR mission data simulator and processor developed at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique), Ecole Polytechnique, France, for MERLIN to assess the performances in realistic observational situations.

The Challenge of Atmospheric Data Assimilation on Mars

Data assimilation is carried out for the Martian atmosphere with the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) retrievals of temperature, dust, and ice. It is performed for the period Ls = 180° to Ls = 320° of Mars Year 29 with the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter scheme and the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars Global Climate Model (GCM). In order to deal with the forcings of aerosols (dust and water ice) on atmospheric temperatures, a framework is given for multivariate analysis. It consists of assimilating a GCM variable with the help of another GCM variable that can be more easily related to an observation. Despite encouraging results with this method, data assimilation is found to be intrinsically different for Mars and more challenging, due to the Martian atmosphere being less chaotic and exhibiting more global features than on Earth. This is reflected in the three main issues met when achieving various data assimilation experiments: (1) temperature assimilation strongly forces the GCM away from its free‐running state, due to the difficulty of assimilating global atmospheric thermal tides; (2) because of model bias, assimilation of airborne dust is not able to reproduce the vertical diurnal variations of dust observed by MCS, and not present in the GCM; and (3) water ice clouds are nearly impossible to assimilate due to the difficulty to assimilate temperature to a sufficient precision. Overall, further improvements of Martian data assimilation would require an assimilation that goes beyond the local scale and more realism of the GCM, especially for aerosols and thermal tides.

The Dorsa Argentea Formation and the Noachian-Hesperian climate transition

The Dorsa Argentea Formation (DAF), a set of geomorphologic units covering ∼1.5 million square kilometers in the south circumpolar region of Mars, has been interpreted as the remnants of a large south polar ice sheet that formed near the Noachian-Hesperian boundary and receded in the early Hesperian. Determining the extent and thermal regime of the DAF ice sheet, as well as the mechanism and timing of its recession, can therefore provide insight into the ancient martian climate and the timing of the transition from a presumably thicker CO2 atmosphere to the present climate. We used the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) early Mars global climate model (GCM) and the University of Maine Ice Sheet Model (UMISM) glacial flow model to constrain climates allowing development of a south polar ice sheet of DAF-like size and shape. In addition, we modeled basal melting of this ice sheet in amounts and locations consistent with observed glaciofluvial landforms. A large, asymmetric region of ice stability surrounding the south pole is a robust feature of GCM simulations with spin-axis obliquity of 15° or 25° and a 600–1000 mb CO2 atmosphere. The shape results from the large-scale south polar topography of Mars and the strong dependence of surface temperature on altitude under a thicker atmosphere. Of the scenarios considered in this study, the extent of the modeled DAF ice sheet in UMISM simulations most closely matches that of the DAF when the surface water ice inventory of Mars is a ∼137 m global equivalent layer (GEL) and spin-axis obliquity is 15°. In climates warmed only by CO2, significant basal melting does not occur except when the ice inventory is larger than plausible estimates for early Mars. In this case, the extent of the south polar ice sheet is also much larger than that of the DAF, and basal melting is more widespread than observed landforms indicate. When an idealized greenhouse gas warms the surface by at least 20°C near the poles relative to CO2 alone, the stable extent of the ice sheet is less than that of the DAF units, but widespread basal melting occurs, with maxima in the locations where eskers are currently observed. We therefore conclude that warming by a gas other than CO2 alone was necessary to enable the construction of glaciofluvial landforms in the DAF. Previously published crater exposure ages of eskers in the DAF indicate that eskers were being exposed as activity was ceasing in the equatorial valley networks, suggesting that the warming that allowed basal melting at the edges of the DAF ice sheet were broadly contemporaneous with those in which the valley networks were carved. Finally, elevated Tharsis topography is required to produce an ice sheet with the shape of the DAF. Thus, our results are not consistent with the DAF (and the valley networks) forming before the emplacement of Tharsis, as recently suggested.

Venus's winds and temperatures during the MESSENGER's flyby: An approximation to a three‐dimensional instantaneous state of the atmosphere

Even though many missions have explored the Venus atmospheric circulation, its instantaneous state is poorly characterized. In situ measurements vertically sampling the atmosphere exist for limited locations and dates, while remote sensing observations provide only global averages of winds at altitudes of the clouds: 47, 60, and 70 km. We present a three‐dimensional global view of Venus's atmospheric circulation from data obtained in June 2007 by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) and Venus Express spacecrafts, together with ground‐based observations. Winds and temperatures were measured for heights 47–110 km from multiwavelength images and spectra covering 40°N–80°S and local times 12 h–21 h. Dayside westward winds exhibit day‐to‐day changes, with maximum speeds ranging 97–143 m/s and peaking at variable altitudes within 75–90 km, while on the nightside these peak below cloud tops at ∼60 km. Our results support past reports of strong variability of the westward zonal superrotation in the transition region, and good agreement is found above the clouds with results from the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Venus general circulation model.

Vertical profiles of Mars 1.27 µm O2 dayglow from MRO CRISM limb spectra: Seasonal/global behaviors, comparisons to LMDGCM simulations, and a global definition for Mars water vapor profiles

Since July of 2009, The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectral Mapper (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has periodically obtained pole-to-pole observations (i.e., full MRO orbits) of limb scanned visible/near IR spectra (λ=0.4−4.0 µ m, △λ ∼ 10 nm- Murchie et al., 2007). These CRISM limb observations support the first seasonally and spatially extensive set of Mars 1.27 µm O2(1△g) dayglow profile retrievals (∼ 1100) over ≥ 8–80 km altitudes. Their comparison to Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) global climate model (GCM) simulated O2(1△g) volume emission rate (VER) profiles, as a function of altitude, latitude, and season (solar longitude, Ls), supports several key conclusions regarding Mars atmospheric water vapor (which is derived from O2(1△g) emission rates), Mars O3, and the collisional de-excitation of O2(1△g) in the Mars CO2 atmosphere. Current (Navarro et al., 2014) LMDGCM simulations of Mars atmospheric water vapor fall 2–3 times below CRISM derived water vapor abundances at 20–40 km altitudes over low-to-mid latitudes in northern spring (Ls = 30-60°), and northern mid-to-high latitudes over northern summer (Ls = 60–140°). In contrast, LMDGCM simulated water vapor is 2–5 times greater than CRISM derived values at all latitudes and seasons above 40 km, within the aphelion cloud belt (ACB), and over high-southern to mid-southern latitudes in southern summer (Ls = 190-340°) at 15–35 km altitudes. Overall, the solstitial summer-to-winter hemisphere gradients in water vapor are reversed between the LMDGCM modeled versus the CRISM derived water vapor abundances above 10–30 km altitudes. LMDGCM-CRISM differences in water vapor profiles correlate with LMDGCM-CRISM differences in cloud mixing profiles; and likely reflect limitations in simulating cloud microphysics and radiative forcing, both of which restrict meridional transport of water from summer-to-winter hemispheres on Mars (Clancy et al., 1996; Montmessin et al., 2004; Steele et al., 2014; Navarro et al., 2014) and depend on uncertain cloud microphysical properties (Navarro et al., 2014). The derived low-to-mid latitude changes in Mars water vapor vertical distributions should reduce current model-data disagreements in column O3 and H2O2 abundances over low-to-mid latitudes (e.g., within the ACB; Lefèvre et al., 2008; Encrenaz et al., 2015; Clancy et al., 2016). Lastly, the global/seasonal average comparison of CRISM and LMDGCM O2(1△g) VER below 20 km altitudes indicates a factor of ∼3 times lower value (0.25×10−20 cm3sec−1) for the CO2 collisional de-excitation rate coefficient of O2(1△g) than derived recently by Guslyakova et al. (2016).

Thermal structure of the upper atmosphere of Venus simulated by a ground-to-thermosphere GCM

We present here the thermal structure of the upper atmosphere of Venus predicted by a full self-consistent Venus General Circulation Model (VGCM) developed at Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) and extended up to the thermosphere of the planet. Physical and photochemical processes relevant at those altitudes, plus a non-orographic GW parameterisation, have been added. All those improvements make the LMD-VGCM the only existing ground-to-thermosphere 3D model for Venus: a unique tool to investigate the atmosphere of Venus and to support the exploration of the planet by remote sounding. The aim of this paper is to present the model reference results, to describe the role of radiative, photochemical and dynamical effects in the observed thermal structure in the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere of the planet. The predicted thermal structure shows a succession of warm and cold layers, as recently observed. A cooling trend with increasing latitudes is found during daytime at all altitudes, while at nighttime the trend is inverse above about 110 km, with an atmosphere up to 15 K warmer towards the pole. The latitudinal variation is even smaller at the terminator, in agreement with observations. Below about 110 km, a nighttime warm layer whose intensity decreases with increasing latitudes is predicted by our GCM. A comparison of model results with a selection of recent measurements shows an overall good agreement in terms of trends and order of magnitude. Significant data-model discrepancies may be also discerned. Among them, thermospheric temperatures are about 40–50 K colder and up to 30 K warmer than measured at terminator and at nighttime, respectively. The altitude layer of the predicted mesospheric local maximum (between 100 and 120 km) is also higher than observed. Possible interpretations are discussed and several sensitivity tests performed to understand the data-model discrepancies and to propose future model improvements.

CO2 non‐LTE limb emissions in Mars' atmosphere as observed by OMEGA/Mars Express

AbstractWe report on daytime limb observations of Mars upper atmosphere acquired by the OMEGA instrument on board the European spacecraft Mars Express. The strong emission observed at 4.3 μm is interpreted as due to CO2 fluorescence of solar radiation and is detected at a tangent altitude in between 60 and 110 km. The main value of OMEGA observations is that they provide simultaneously spectral information and good spatial sampling of the CO2 emission. In this study we analyzed 98 dayside limb observations spanning over more than 3 Martian years, with a very good latitudinal and longitudinal coverage. Thanks to the precise altitude sounding capabilities of OMEGA, we extracted vertical profiles of the non‐local thermodynamic equilibrium (non‐LTE) emission at each wavelength and we studied their dependence on several geophysical parameters, such as the solar illumination and the tangent altitude. The dependence of the non‐LTE emission on solar zenith angle and altitude follows a similar behavior to that predicted by the non‐LTE model. According to our non‐LTE model, the tangent altitude of the peak of the CO2 emission varies with the thermal structure, but the pressure level where the peak of the emission is found remains constant at ∼0.03 ± 0.01 Pa, . This non‐LTE model prediction has been corroborated by comparing SPICAM and OMEGA observations. We have shown that the seasonal variations of the altitude of constant pressure levels in SPICAM stellar occultation retrievals correlate well with the variations of the OMEGA peak emission altitudes, although the exact pressure level cannot be defined with the spectroscopy for the investigation of the characteristics of the atmosphere of Venus (SPICAM) nighttime data. Thus, observed changes in the altitude of the peak emission provide us information on the altitude of the 0.03 Pa pressure level. Since the pressure at a given altitude is dictated by the thermal structure below, the tangent altitude of the peak emission represents then an important piece of information of the atmosphere, of great value for validating general circulation models. We thus compared the altitude of OMEGA peak emission with the altitude of the 0.03 Pa level predicted by the Laboratoire de météorologie dynamique (LMD)‐Mars global circulation model and found that the peak emission altitudes from OMEGA present a much larger variability than the tangent altitude of the 0.03 Pa level predicted by the general circulation model. This variability could be possibly due to unresolved atmospheric waves. Further studies using this strong CO2 limb emission data are proposed.

Cooling of the Martian thermosphere by CO2radiation and gravity waves: An intercomparison study with two general circulation models

Observations show that the lower thermosphere of Mars (∼100–140 km) is up to 40 K colder than the current general circulation models (GCMs) can reproduce. Possible candidates for physical processes missing in the models are larger abundances of atomic oxygen facilitating stronger CO2 radiative cooling and thermal effects of gravity waves. Using two state-of-the-art Martian GCMs, the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique and Max Planck Institute models that self-consistently cover the atmosphere from the surface to the thermosphere, these physical mechanisms are investigated. Simulations demonstrate that the CO2 radiative cooling with a sufficiently large atomic oxygen abundance and the gravity wave-induced cooling can alone result in up to 40 K colder temperature in the lower thermosphere. Accounting for both mechanisms produce stronger cooling at high latitudes. However, radiative cooling effects peak above the mesopause, while gravity wave cooling rates continuously increase with height. Although both mechanisms act simultaneously, these peculiarities could help to further quantify their relative contributions from future observations.

Assimilation of atmospheric methane products into the MACC-II system: from SCIAMACHY to TANSO and IASI

Abstract. The Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate Interim Implementation (MACC-II) delayed-mode (DM) system has been producing an atmospheric methane (CH4) analysis 6 months behind real time since June 2009. This analysis used to rely on the assimilation of the CH4 product from the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument onboard Envisat. Recently the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) CH4 products from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research CH4 products from the Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation (TANSO) were added to the DM system. With the loss of Envisat in April 2012, the DM system now has to rely on the assimilation of methane data from TANSO and IASI. This paper documents the impact of this change in the observing system on the methane tropospheric analysis. It is based on four experiments: one free run and three analyses from respectively the assimilation of SCIAMACHY, TANSO and a combination of TANSO and IASI CH4 products in the MACC-II system. The period between December 2010 and April 2012 is studied. The SCIAMACHY experiment globally underestimates the tropospheric methane by 35 part per billion (ppb) compared to the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) data and by 28 ppb compared the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) data, while the free run presents an underestimation of 5 ppb and 1 ppb against the same HIPPO and TCCON data, respectively. The assimilated TANSO product changed in October 2011 from version v.1 to version v.2.0. The analysis of version v.1 globally underestimates the tropospheric methane by 18 ppb compared to the HIPPO data and by 15 ppb compared to the TCCON data. In contrast, the analysis of version v.2.0 globally overestimates the column by 3 ppb. When the high density IASI data are added in the tropical region between 30° N and 30° S, their impact is mainly positive but more pronounced and effective when combined with version v.2.0 of the TANSO products. The resulting analysis globally underestimates the column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of methane (xCH4) just under 1 ppb on average compared to the TCCON data, whereas in the tropics it overestimates xCH4 by about 3 ppb. The random error is estimated to be less than 7 ppb when compared to TCCON data.

O2(a1Δg) dayglow limb observations on Mars by SPICAM IR on Mars-Express and connection to water vapor distribution

The 1.27-μm O2(a1Δg) dayglow on Mars is a product of the ozone photolysis by solar UV radiation. The intensity of the O2(a1Δg) emission rate depends on ozone concentration, atmospheric density and kinetic parameters of involved photochemical reactions. In turn, the distribution of ozone is sensitive to the vertical and spatial distribution of water vapor, which is an effective destructor of O3. SPICAM IR on the Mars-Express mission measures the O2(1Δg) dayglow with spectral resolving power of 2200. The results of 147 limb observations from 2004 to 2013 are reported. Limb resolution of the instrument is variable and exceeds the scale height of the atmosphere. The slant emission rate reaches a maximum at the high Northern latitudes at northern and southern springs Ls=0–50° and 160–190°, respectively and a minimum in middle and low latitudes at southern summer Ls=200–300°. We have compared the SPIVAM O2(a1Δg) limb profiles with the General Circulation Model simulation by the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (LMD GCM, Lefèvre, F., Lebonnois, S., Montmessin, F., Forget, F. [2004]. J. Geophys. Res. 109, E07004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2004JE002268; Lefèvre, F., et al. [2008]. Nature 454(7207), 971–975) reduced to the vertical resolution of the instrument. The GCM includes the radiative effect of the water clouds and an interactive dust scheme, and well reproduces Martian Climate Sounder (MCS) temperature profiles (Clancy, R. Todd et al. [2012]. J. Geophys. Res. 117, 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JE004018). The model underestimates the emission for Ls=0–50°, Ls=160–180° and overestimates it from Ls=60° to Ls=150° at high Northern latitudes. In the Southern hemisphere the model underestimates the emission for Ls=170–200° and overestimates it for Ls=200–230° at high Southern latitudes. The disagreement could be related to the water vapor distribution as the model reproduces it. The most recent version of the LMD GCM including microphysical representation of cloud formation taking into account the effect of dust scavenging by water ice clouds (Navarro, T., Madeleine, J.-B., Montmessin, F., Forget, F., Spiga, A., Millour, E. [2013]. Modeling of the martian water cycle with an improved representation of water ice clouds. European Planetary Science Congress 2013, EPSC Abstracts, vol. 8, EPSC2013-203) gives much better agreement with SPICAM O2(a1Δg) dayglow limb observations. Characterization of the Mars water cycle by GCMs continues to improve, and the observations of the O2(a1Δg) dayglow offer a powerful tool for its validation.