| The Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) of Mars plays a critical role in its climate system, since all surface-atmosphere exchanges of heat, momentum, water, and dust occur through this region. This study investigates the fundamental nature of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) by employing a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model developed at NCAR. We have implemented the NCAR LES locally, and tested it for the terrestrial and adapted it for Martian case. This model simulates turbulence in the highly convective Martian boundary layer. LES represents a fundamental fluid dynamics approach, one that has been successfully used for a wide range of terrestrial atmospheric and engineering problems. A major goal of this research is to gain insight into how the terrestrial PBL simulation can be adjusted and improved for applications on Mars in preparation for analysis and comprehension of future data returns from the NASA/CSA Phoenix mission to Mars, scheduled for launch in 2007. Results are presented in terms of time-evolving fields of turbulence and convection characteristics and comprehensive analysis. The boundary-layer depth is a key parameter which is determined by the Large Eddy Simulation. |
