Migrating Thermal Tides in the Martian Atmosphere During Aphelion Season Observed by EMM/EMIRS

Abstract

Temperature profiles retrieved using the first set of data of the Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer obtained during the science phase of the Emirates Mars Mission are used for the analysis of migrating thermal tides in the Martian atmosphere. The selected data cover a solar longitude (LS) range of 60°–90° of Martian Year 36. The novel orbit design of the Hope Probe leads to a good geographic and local time coverage that significantly improves the analysis. Wave mode decomposition suggests dominant diurnal tide and important semi-diurnal tide with maximal amplitudes of 6 and 2 K, respectively, as well as the existence of ∼0.5 K ter-diurnal tide. The results agree well with predictions by the Mars Planetary Climate Model, but the observed diurnal tide has an earlier phase (3 hr), and the semi-diurnal tide has an unexpectedly large wavelength (∼200 km).