Martian atmospheric collapse: Idealized GCM studies

A figure from Soto et al., 2015, showing the zonal mean deposition of CO\(_{2}\) for different obliquities (see Soto et al., 2015, for details).

Haiku

When the tilt is low / the atmosphere collapses / leaving Mars so cold.

Abstract

Global energy balance models of the martian atmosphere predict that, for a range of total CO2 inventories, the CO2 atmosphere may condense unti a state with a permanent polar cap is reached. This process, which is commonl referred to as atmospheric collapse, may limit the time available for physica and chemical weathering. The global energy balance models that predict atmospheri collapse represent the climate using simplified parameterizations for atmospheric processe such as radiative transfer and atmospheric heat transport. However, a mor detailed representation of these atmospheric processes is critical when the atmosphere is near transition, such as the threshold for collapse. Therefore, we use the Mars Weathe Research and Forecasting (MarsWRF) general circulation model (GCM) to investigat how the explicit representation of meridional heat transport and more detaile radiative transfer affects the onset of atmospheric collapse. Using MarsWRF, w find that previous energy balance modeling underestimates the range of CO inventories for which the atmosphere collapses and that the obliquity of Mars determine the range of CO2 inventories that can collapse. For a much larger range of CO inven- tories than expected, atmospheric heat transport is insufficient to prevent th atmospheric collapse. We show that the condensation of CO2 onto Olympus Mons an adjacent mountains generates a condensa- tion flow. This condensation flow syphons energ that would otherwise be transported poleward, which helps explain the large rang of CO2 inventories for which the atmosphere collapses.

Citation

Soto, A., Mischna, M., Schneider, T., Lee, C., and Richardson, M.(2015). Martian atmospheric collapse: Idealized GCM studies. Icarus,250:553 – 569, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.11.028.

@article{Soto:2015aa,
    author = {Alejandro Soto and Michael Mischna and Tapio Schneider and Christopher Lee and Mark Richardson},
    date-added = {2023-11-22 15:36:44 -0700},
    date-modified = {2023-11-23 00:31:23 -0700},
    doi = {10.1016/j.icarus.2014.11.028},
    journal = {Icarus},
    keywords = {Atmospheres, dynamics},
    pages = {553 - 569},
    title = {Martian atmospheric collapse: Idealized {GCM} studies},
    volume = {250},
    year = {2015},