Resolving Convection of CO 2 Ice Clouds in the Martian Polar Nights
International audience Martian CO2 ice clouds are intriguing features, representing a rare occurrence of atmosphericcondensation of a major component. These clouds play a crucial role due to their radiative properties,interactions with surface, and coupling with microphysical cycles of aerosols. Obs...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2024
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://insu.hal.science/insu-04620042 https://insu.hal.science/insu-04620042/document https://insu.hal.science/insu-04620042/file/GRL-%202024%20-%20Caille%CC%81%20-%20Resolving%20.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl106923 |
Summary: | International audience Martian CO2 ice clouds are intriguing features, representing a rare occurrence of atmosphericcondensation of a major component. These clouds play a crucial role due to their radiative properties,interactions with surface, and coupling with microphysical cycles of aerosols. Observations have been limited,prompting modeling studies to understand their formation and dynamics. Here, we present the first high‐resolution 3D simulations of CO2 ice clouds using a Large‐Eddy Simulation (LES) model incorporating CO2microphysics. We investigate cloud formation in idealized temperature perturbations in the polar night. Areference simulation with a 2K perturbation demonstrates that the formed CO2 ice cloud possesses aconvective potential, leading to its ascent in the troposphere. We determine the timescales and orders ofmagnitude of various phenomena involved in the lifecycle of a CO2 ice cloud. Sensitivity tests show thatconvection can be inhibited or intensified by the thermodynamic and microphysical conditions of the simulatedenvironment. |
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