Variations in the Ionospheric Peak Altitude at Mars in Response to Dust Storms: 13 Years of Observations from the Mars Express Radar Sounder

Z Girazian; Z Luppen; D D Morgan; F Chu; L Montabone; E. M. B Thiemann; D A Gurnett; J Halekas; A J Kopf; F Němec

doi:10.17077/pp.005131

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Variations in the Ionospheric Peak Altitude at Mars in Response to Dust Storms: 13 Years of Observations from the Mars Express Radar Sounder

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Variations in the Ionospheric Peak Altitude at Mars in Response to Dust Storms: 13 Years of Observations from the Mars Express Radar Sounder

Z Girazian, Z Luppen, D D Morgan, F Chu, L Montabone, E. M. B Thiemann, D A Gurnett, J Halekas, A J Kopf and F Němec

Iowa Research Online

University of Iowa

10/29/2019

DOI: 10.17077/pp.005131

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Preprint (Author's original)v3 (last revised 19 Aug 2019)Free to read and download, Open Access

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https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.07111v3View

Preprint (Author's original)This preprint has not been evaluated by subject experts through peer review. Preprints may undergo extensive changes and/or become peer-reviewed journal articles. Open Access

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https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006092View

Published (Version of record)Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets. Volume125, Issue5 May 2020 e2019JE006092 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006092 Open Access

Abstract

Previous observations have shown that, during Martian dust storms, the peak of the ionosphere rises in altitude. Observational studies of this type, however, have been extremely limited. Using 13 years of ionospheric peak altitude data from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument on Mars Express, we study how the peak altitude responded to dust storms during six different Mars Years (MY). We find that the peak altitude increased during regional dust storms in MY 27 and MY 33, and during the global dust storm in MY 28. In contrast, we find that the peak altitude did not increase during regional dust storms in MY 29 and MY 32, nor during the global dust storm in MY 34. Our results suggest that the response of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere to dust storms is dependent on several factors, including latitude, solar zenith angle, solar cycle conditions, and the magnitude of the dust storm.

Ionosphere

Mars

Dust storms

thermosphere

Upper atmosphere

Details

Title: Subtitle: Variations in the Ionospheric Peak Altitude at Mars in Response to Dust Storms: 13 Years of Observations from the Mars Express Radar Sounder
Creators: Z Girazian - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
Z Luppen
D D Morgan - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
F Chu - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
L Montabone
E. M. B Thiemann
D A Gurnett - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
J Halekas - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
A J Kopf - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
F Němec
Resource Type: Preprint
Publication Details: Iowa Research Online
Publisher: University of Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa, USA
DOI: 10.17077/pp.005131
eISSN: 2476-1680
Number of pages: 29 pages
Comment: Submitted on 17 Jun 2019 (v1), last revised 19 Aug 2019 (this version, v3)
Language: English
Date accepted: 09/17/2019
Date posted: 10/29/2019
Date submitted: 06/17/2019
Date updated: 08/19/2019
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9983706745002771

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Variations in the Ionospheric Peak Altitude at Mars in Response to Dust Storms: 13 Years of Observations from the Mars Express Radar Sounder

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