From Terrence Z MARTIN
@. . . . . From: Terry Z. Martin
<tzmartin@mail1.jpl.nasa.gov>
To:
<rzurek@jpl.nasa.gov>; <G.M.KEATING@larc.nasa.gov>;
<m.m.munk@larc.nasa.gov>; <klassen@tyr.rowan.edu>
Cc: <
Sent:
Subject:
Mars dust storm report
The recent Martian dust storm
occurred at a great time for terrestrial observation, and that is how I first
heard of it - the reports from Japanese observers. Excellent work, and some
fine pictures!
The thermal signature of the storm
in the Mars Global Surveyor horizon sensor data (15 micrometers wavelength in
the infrared; this is a bulk measurement of the atmospheric temperature, which
rises as sunlight heat the dust) appears
I would not expect the temperature
to track the visual appearance of the dust storms exactly. What I am seeing is
the heating due to dust that is mixed to considerable height in the atmosphere
(many km). The behavior of the 1999 Ls 225 warming showed strong control by an
existing thermal wave pattern rather than matching the dust storms seen in the
MOC (MGS camera) image data.
The warming grows strongly after day 179, and begins to show up in the
northern mid-latitudes on day 180. The warming moves eastward in both the north
and south after that. I will continue this movie as more data are processed.
Because of this storm's early start within the dust storm season, it is
particularly interesting.
Cheers,
(
Terry Z MARTIN (