High-Latitude Zonal Jets in the Martian Upper Atmosphere Driven by Non-Orographic Gravity Waves
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866911703441080320 |
|---|---|
| author | Liu, Jiandong Forget, François Millour, Ehouarn Galindo, Francisco González Chaufray, Jean-Yves |
| author_facet | Liu, Jiandong Forget, François Millour, Ehouarn Galindo, Francisco González Chaufray, Jean-Yves |
| contents | We investigate thermosphere responses to non-orographic gravity waves (GWs) using wind measurements from the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission, alongside simulations from the Mars Planetary Climate Model. We focus on zonal jets in high-latitude regions of the upper atmosphere. Jet acceleration and deceleration (280 m/s ) arise from momentum divergence (1,300 m/s/sol ) driven by wave saturation and wind filtering. Simulations and observations indicate that GWs modulate these jets in the hemisphere associated with the descending branches of the Hadley Cell, due to the absence of wave critical layers in the middle atmosphere. Interactions between GWs and the mean flow can shape the circulation and dynamics of the upper atmosphere of Mars. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_21730 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | High-Latitude Zonal Jets in the Martian Upper Atmosphere Driven by Non-Orographic Gravity Waves Liu, Jiandong Forget, François Millour, Ehouarn Galindo, Francisco González Chaufray, Jean-Yves Earth and Planetary Astrophysics We investigate thermosphere responses to non-orographic gravity waves (GWs) using wind measurements from the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission, alongside simulations from the Mars Planetary Climate Model. We focus on zonal jets in high-latitude regions of the upper atmosphere. Jet acceleration and deceleration (280 m/s ) arise from momentum divergence (1,300 m/s/sol ) driven by wave saturation and wind filtering. Simulations and observations indicate that GWs modulate these jets in the hemisphere associated with the descending branches of the Hadley Cell, due to the absence of wave critical layers in the middle atmosphere. Interactions between GWs and the mean flow can shape the circulation and dynamics of the upper atmosphere of Mars. |
| title | High-Latitude Zonal Jets in the Martian Upper Atmosphere Driven by Non-Orographic Gravity Waves |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.21730 |