Mars Science Laboratory Observations of the 2018/Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm

Guzewich, Scott D.; Lemmon, M. T.; Smith, C. L.; Martínez, G.; Vicente‐Retortillo, Á.; Newman, Claire; Baker, Mariah; Campbell, Charissa; Cooper, Brittney; Gómez‐Elvira, Javier; Harri, A. M.; Hassler, D. M.; Martín‐Torres, Javier; McConnochie, T. H.; Moores, John E.; Kahanpää, Henrik; Khayat, Alain; Richardson, M. I.; Smith, M. D.; Sullivan, Robert; Juárez, Manuel de la Torre; Vasavada, A. R.; Viúdez‐Moreiras, Daniel; Zeitlin, C.; Zorzano, María Paz

doi:10.1029/2018gl080839

Cited by 151 publications

(206 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…After the early growth phase a hiatus in dust expansion was observed that lasted for about a week, after which dust expansion accelerated again. The storm became planet encircling by 17 June 2018 ( L s = 194.9°), which coincides with a peak in optical depth of 8.5 measured from the surface by the Curiosity rover (Guzewich et al, ). The GDE reached its mature phase around 23 June 2018 ( L s = 197.9°) (Kass et al, ).…”

Section: Mcs Observations Of the My34 Gdesupporting

confidence: 77%

Diurnal Variations of Dust During the 2018 Global Dust Storm Observed by the Mars Climate Sounder

et al. 2020

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We report observations by the Mars Climate Sounder showing strong diurnal variations in temperature and the vertical dust distribution during the 2018 (Mars Year 34) global dust event.The temperature field shows weak diurnal tidal activity at equatorial latitudes but a strong diurnal tide in middle to high latitudes with a maximum amplitude of 29 K in the lower atmosphere of the south polar region. The diurnal variability of dust is small in the equatorial region and increases toward higher latitudes. At middle and low latitudes, comparable dust amounts are found about 5-10 km higher in the atmosphere on the dayside than on the nightside. The dust reaches the highest altitudes in the late afternoon and is found at the lowest altitudes in the late night. In the southern high latitudes a persistent cold air mass with low dust content is identified on the nightside of the planet centered at 3-6 a.m. local time. The observed variations are well represented by model simulations with the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique General Circulation Model. Comparisons between data and model results suggest that the diurnal variations in the dust are largely driven by the meridional circulation exhibiting diurnal tidal variations. The model results show that the compact air mass in the south polar region has a high potential vorticity, supporting its interpretation as a remnant of the southern polar vortex, which is forced toward the nightside of the planet due to the enhanced diurnal tide during the global dust event.Plain Language Summary One of the most distinctive features of the Martian atmosphere are global dust storms, one of which occurred in 2018. We report on observations of the vertical structure of atmospheric temperature and dust by the Mars Climate Sounder onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Strong differences between day and night are found in both temperature and dust vertical structure. The strongest temperature variations are observed in the south polar atmosphere, with temperature differences up to 58 • C/136 • F between day and night. Comparable dust amounts are found 5-10 km (3-6 miles) higher in the atmosphere on the dayside than on the nightside at central and equatorial latitudes. In the southern polar region a persistent cold body of air with low dust is identified on the nightside of the planet. The observations are compared with the results from a global atmospheric computer model. The observed temperature and dust distribution and their variations over the Martian day are well represented by the model. The diurnal variations in the dust are largely driven by diurnal changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation. The compact body of air in the south polar region is forced to the nightside by this altered circulation but does not dissipate for several months.

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Section: Mcs Observations Of the My34 Gdesupporting

confidence: 77%

Diurnal Variations of Dust During the 2018 Global Dust Storm Observed by the Mars Climate Sounder

et al. 2020

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“…However, the strong decrease in the visibility of the surface albedo features was evident throughout the month of June, when all longitudes were covered by the dust as shown in Figure S2. As reported by Guzewich et al (), the eastward progression of the GDS produced a first increase in dust opacity at the Curiosity location (4.6°S, 222.6°W) on 9‐10 June reaching its peak in opacity in 18 June. On 18 June, we see that the dust had covered the Tharsis Mons area (~15°N, 140°W), and most of the surface albedo features of this region and surrounding areas were unrecognizable on June 27.…”

Section: Onset and Initial Expansion Of The Global Dust Stormsupporting

confidence: 72%

The Onset and Growth of the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm

Sánchez‐Lavega

Río‐Gaztelurrutia

Hernández-Bernal

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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We analyze the onset and initial expansion of the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm (GDS 2018) using ground‐based images in the visual range. This is the first case of a confirmed GDS initiating in the Northern Hemisphere. A dusty area extending about 1.4×105 km2 and centered at latitude +31.7°±1.8° and west longitude 18°±5°W in Acidalia Planitia was captured on 30 and 31 May 2018 (Ls = 184.9°). From 1 to 8 June, daily image series showed the storm expanding southward along the Acidalia corridor with velocities of 5 m/s and simultaneously progressing eastward and westward with horizontal velocities ranging from 5 to 40 m/s. By 8 June the dust reached latitude ‐55° and later penetrated in the South polar region, whereas in the North the dust progression stopped at latitude approximately +46°. We compare the onset and expansion stage of this GDS with the previous confirmed storms.

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“…Non‐detections are localized in time and places: 45% of our non‐detections are located at the onset of the GDS (

19 3^{\circ} \leq L_{s} \leq 19 8^{\circ}

, five observations), and the other 55% are located during the GDS (

21 9^{\circ} \leq L_{s} \leq 23 1^{\circ}

, six observations) but correspond to low haze top altitude beyond the northern limit of the GDS (see detailed discussion in section ). Second, we observe the presence of two distinct types of vertical profiles that correspond to the two periods separated by the sudden onset of the GDS at

L_{s} \sim 195

–200

(Guzewich et al, ). Two main cloud characteristics differ between these two periods: the vertical extent and the water ice cloud opacity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 65%

Martian Water Ice Clouds During the 2018 Global Dust Storm as Observed by the ACS‐MIR Channel Onboard the Trace Gas Orbiter

et al. 2020

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The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) instrument onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) European Space Agency‐Roscosmos mission began science operations in March 2018. ACS Mid‐InfraRed (MIR) channel notably provides solar occultation observations of the Martian atmosphere in the 2.3‐ to 4.2‐ normalμ m spectral range. Here, we use these observations to characterize water ice clouds before and during the MY 34 Global Dust Storm (GDS). We developed a method to detect water ice clouds with mean particle size ≤ 2 normalμ m and applied it to observations gathered between Ls=165∘ and Ls=243∘. We observe a shift in water ice cloud maximum altitudes from about 60 km before the GDS to above 90 km during the storm. These very high altitude, small‐sized ( reff≤0.3.3emnormalμ m) water ice clouds are more frequent during MY 34 compared to non‐GDS years at the same season. Particle size frequently decreases with altitude, both locally within a given profile and globally in the whole data set. We observe that the maximum altitude at which a given size is observed can increase during the GDS by several tens of kilometers for certain sizes. We notably notice some large water ice particles ( reff≥1.5.3emnormalμ m) at surprisingly high altitudes during the GDS (50–70 km). These results suggest that GDS can significantly impact the formation and properties of high‐altitude water ice clouds as compared to the usual perihelion dust activity.

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Mars Science Laboratory Observations of the 2018/Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm

Cited by 151 publications

References 54 publications

Diurnal Variations of Dust During the 2018 Global Dust Storm Observed by the Mars Climate Sounder

Diurnal Variations of Dust During the 2018 Global Dust Storm Observed by the Mars Climate Sounder

The Onset and Growth of the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm

Martian Water Ice Clouds During the 2018 Global Dust Storm as Observed by the ACS‐MIR Channel Onboard the Trace Gas Orbiter

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