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Climatology of Gravity Wave Activity From Two Martian Years of ACS/TGO Observations
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  • Ekaterina D. Starichenko,
  • Alexander S. Medvedev,
  • Denis A. Belyaev,
  • Erdal Yiğit,
  • Anna A. Fedorova,
  • Oleg I Korablev,
  • Alexander Trokhimovskiy,
  • Franck Montmessin,
  • Paul Hartogh
Ekaterina D. Starichenko
Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
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Alexander S. Medvedev
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Denis A. Belyaev
Space Research Institute (IKI)
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Erdal Yiğit
George Mason University
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Anna A. Fedorova
Space Research Institute
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Oleg I Korablev
Space Research Institute (IKI)
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Alexander Trokhimovskiy
Space Research Institute (IKI)
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Franck Montmessin
LATMOS CNRS/UVSQ/IPSL
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Paul Hartogh
MPS
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Abstract

We report the gravity wave (GW) statistics accumulated over two Martian years from the second half of Martian Year 34 (MY34) to the middle of MY36 (May 2018 - February 2022). The observations were performed by the middle- and near-infrared (MIR and NIR, respectively) spectrometers of Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) on board ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). Temperature profiles obtained independently of both channels during simultaneous measurements show a good agreement, thus providing verification and additional confidence in the data. GW parameters such as temperature fluctuations, potential energy per unit mass, and wave drag are retrieved at altitudes up to 160 km from the MIR channel and up to 100 km from the NIR channel. We present seasonal, intraday and latitude distributions of the wave potential energy and drag, serving to represent the wave activity and impact on the dynamics. A comparison of data obtained during the global dust storm (GDS) of MY34 with the corresponding period of MY35 without a storm reveals a reduction of GW activity in mid-latitudes in agreement with previous observations, and enhancement in the polar regions of both hemispheres, which was predicted by theoretical studies using simulations with a high-resolution circulation model. Seasonal variations of the derived GW activity can be linked to changes in the solar tide.
10 Jul 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
23 Jul 2023Published in ESS Open Archive