Non‐Migrating Thermal Tides in the Martian Lower Atmosphere Observed by EMM/EMIRS

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Authors: Cong Sun, Siteng Fan, F. Forget, Michael D. Smith, Sandrine Guerlet, Tao Li, Chengyun Yang, Lulu Li, Khalid Badri, Samuel A. Atwood, Christopher Scott Edwards, Justin Deighan
+2 more Hessa Almatroushi, Ehouarn Millour
Cited by: 0
References: 73

Abstract

Abstract Thermal tides significantly influence Martian atmospheric dynamics and radiative transfer. However, the excitation mechanisms of non‐migrating tides, exhibiting diverse spatial structures, remain poorly understood due to the limited number of observations. We investigated these tides using temperature observations from the Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS) onboard the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). The comprehensive local time coverage of the EMIRS data allows alias‐free tidal mode decomposition, revealing detailed seasonal variability, spatial structure, and vertical propagation characteristics. We detect a terdiurnal westward‐propagating wavenumber‐1 (TW1) mode with amplitudes exceeding 1 K during a regional dust storm (C‐storm) and characterize its alias‐free structure in the lower atmosphere. The results demonstrate a robust link between the seasonal variations in tides and dust events. Observed vertical phase shears and partial wave reflections imply significant nonlinear interactions and feedback processes within the dusty Martian troposphere. These findings underscore the critical influence of aerosols on tidal dynamics, enhancing our understanding of atmospheric processes on Mars.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Planetary Science and Exploration Scientific Research and Discoveries Astro and Planetary Science

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Volume
131
Issue
5
Publication date
28 April 2026
Language
EN