ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5288-2883

Date of Award

Summer 2024

Language

English

Embargo Period

7-25-2024

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School/Department

Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

Program

Atmospheric Science

First Advisor

Paul Roundy

Committee Members

Brian Tang

Keywords

Mars, surface temperature, seasonal cycles, diurnal cycles, surface elevation

Subject Categories

Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Abstract

Recent technologies such as the Mars Climate Sounder, the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, and the Curiosity rover have allowed scientists to examine Mars’ surface, climate, and atmospheric dynamics. Surface temperature data from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) were collected and seasonal and diurnal cycles were extracted via Fourier regression analysis into a 1° latitude longitude grid. Diurnal cycles were shown to move from west to east across the surface throughout the day, while seasonal cycles moved from north to south. Two key diurnal portions, one in the early morning, and another in the late afternoon, were chosen due to their nearly complete seasonal and diurnal cycles of surface temperatures across the full global grid.

Surface topography data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) were collected within a 1° latitude by longitude grid. These data were aligned with seasonal and diurnal surface temperature cycles of the Mars Climate Sounder in order to examine the effects of topography on surface temperature, using the Laplacian and the zonal and meridional gradients of land surface elevation. Residual temperature anomaly data, after removing the part of the temperature linearly associated with elevation from the Mars Climate Sounder surface temperature seasonal cycles, were used to examine mean associations between surface temperature anomalies and various aspects of topography without direct elevational influences on temperature convoluting the data. Finally, air temperature measurements from the Curiosity Rover were collected and also underwent seasonal and diurnal cycle analysis via Fourier regression and demonstrate that the surface temperature data collection and seasonal and diurnal cycle analysis of the Mars Climate Sounder may be an accurate analog to on-ground measurements.

Results show that there are reversing trends of correlation between surface temperature and elevation during the night and day, with daytime experiencing an increase in temperature per increase in elevation and nighttime experiencing a decrease in temperature per increase in elevation. The zonal gradient of surface elevation often demonstrated that a westward facing slope has a higher temperature advantage than an eastward facing one if at the same elevation (resulting from consideration of temperature only during the late afternoon or early morning hours). In terms of the meridional gradient of surface elevation, results show that slopes that face northward will generally have a heating advantage over a southward facing slope at identical elevation, assessed at locations from the northern subtropics southward. Finally, the Laplacian of surface elevation showed generally that mountains will experiences higher temperatures, and craters will experience cooler ones, if at the same elevation. Non-topographical influences such as surface albedo possibly skewed the results in some contexts. Studying Mars’ surface, climate, and atmospheric dynamics are essential for understanding the planet as well as determining if life was once present and if it can be sustained in the future.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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