1. MARS METEOROLOGY Eve Halligan Science Education Consultant halligan4@hotmail.com

2. Meteorology Basics Weather Warm-up! 1.Please write down 2-3 characteristics of the atmosphere on Post-its 2.Share with your table/people next to you 3.What tools would Meteorologists on Earth use to study those characteristics? 4.Large Group Share – Share 1 Characteristic and the tool(s) used to study it (no repeats) 5.Which of these would be most useful to a weather forecaster?

3. Primary Atmospheric Characteristics  Temperature  Pressure  Wind – Speed & Direction … at multiple layers/heights AGL  Humidity (water vapor/moisture content)  Instability  Precipitation  Cloud cover  Visibility  Ascent/Descent – Rising motion/Subsidence

4. Observations, Measurements, Tools, & Data!  Weather Balloons  Surface Stations  Wind Profilers  Radar (surface & aircraft)  Satellite  Computer Models – Numerical Weather Prediction! -Model Output Statistics: http://weather.unisys.com/mos/index.phphttp://weather.unisys.com/mos/index.php -Reliable surface observations!

5. Atmosphere  Air is a fluid & atmosphere behaves much like a shallow pool of water  These wave motions are important on Earth and other planets as well!  Topography can affect these wave motions

6. Atmosphere  Yep. Mars has an atmosphere.  ~95% CO 2, ~3% N 2, ~2% Ar; traces of O 2, CO  Surface pressure ~0.006 atm (~1/100 th Earth’s atmosphere)

7. Air Pressure  ~1013.2 mb at sea level on Earth  That’s ~14.7 lbs/in 2!  Pressure differences between different locations causes the air to move from H toward L (wind) HLHLHLHL

8. What drives weather?  Discuss with your small groups

9. Transfer of Heat Energy

10. Weather Versus Climate Weather The state of the atmosphere at any given time, including things such as temperature, pressure, precipitation, and cloud cover.Climate The totality of weather over a long period of time at one place or over a region. Climate results from the accumulated impact of weather day after day.

11. Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)  The forecasting of the behavior of atmospheric disturbances by the numerical solution of the governing fundamental equations of hydrodynamics, subject to observed initial conditions.  NWP are the basis for most Global Climate Models  Model Output Statistics (MOS) is another useful tool to weather forecasters

12. Activity: Mars Meteorology  MARCI Weather Weekly Weather Report for Nov. 3-9, 2008 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11418  Curiosity Daily Weather: http://marsweather.com/data  Mars Mission Map: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/images/20081124a/MSL_4sites_globe.jpg http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/images/20081124a/MSL_4sites_globe.jpg

13. Discussion Q’s o How would you rate the quality of the data? o What observations can you make? o How would you interpret these observations? o What could you say about Mars from this data set? o Can you use previous mission data to make a generalization? o What can you say we know about Mars at this point? How certain are you? o What questions would you ask about Mars’ atmosphere/weather? o How would you attempt to answer these questions? o What are limitations to this type of mission (lander/instruments)?

14. Extensions Connecting to MSL/Curiosity o Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Information (including data graphs and latest REMS news): http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/environsensors/rems/ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/environsensors/rems/ o Mars Weather from REMS: http://marsweather.com/data http://marsweather.com/data o Mars Weather on Twitter (@MarsWxReport): https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport o In the News: http://science.time.com/2013/07/23/revealed-how-mars-lost-its-atmosphere/ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&News ID=1461 http://spaceref.com/mars/mars-water-ice-clouds-lead-to-twice-daily-temperature- change.html

15. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1072 Dust Devils on Mars?! Credit: NASA

16. Modern Exploration Phoenix  Launched August 4, 2007; landed on May 25, 2008 on the northern arctic plains  Operated for ~6 months; unlike the MER rovers, Phoenix had no chance of surviving more than 6-7 months

17. Rotation & Revolution  One Martian day (sol) is 24 hours and 37 minutes  One Martian year is 687 Earth days, almost two Earth years

18. Seasons  Like Earth, Mars tilts  This tilt contributes to seasons; orbit also contributes  Martian Year means Seasons are twice as long!

19. Mars is Cold  Average temp: -63° C (-81° F); max & min vary  Mars has a LARGE diurnal (daily) temperature variation