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NASA NTRS2024

The Diurnal Variation of Dust and Water Ice Aerosol Optical Depth at Jezero Crater Observed By MEDA/TIRS Over A Full Martian Year

The Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) on the Perseverance rover has provided nearly two full Mars years of systematic monitoring of the total aerosol optical depth above Jezero Crater. These observations span a wide range of timescales, capturing seasonal patterns, diurnal variations, and minute-to-minute fluctuations in aerosol loading. By combining TIRS retrievals with orbital observations, the relative contributions of dust and water ice aerosols can be estimated, revealing their different seasonal and diurnal behaviors. The TIRS record shows distinct periods of dust storm activity, including strong regional storms during the perihelion season as well as short lived but intense dust events outside the typical dust storm season. Water ice clouds exhibit pronounced seasonal and diurnal variability, with peak activity occurring during the aphelion season but with a presence throughout the year. The diurnal variation of clouds differs significantly between the aphelion and perihelion seasons, with clouds persisting throughout the night during the aphelion season, while largely absent outside of specific periods after sunrise and sunset during the perihelion season. These results provide new insights into the complex behavior of aerosols at Jezero Crater and their connections to atmospheric dynamics and the Martian dust and water cycles.

Michael D Smith↗
NASA NTRS1973

Diurnal and semidiurnal nitrogen density and temperature variations from thermosphere probe measurements.

Amplitudes and phases for the diurnal and semidiurnal variations of thermospheric molecular nitrogen density and temperature are determined from data obtained by six rocket-launched thermosphere probes. The semidiurnal tide is significant for the lower thermosphere variations, where it could dominate in the N2 density at 140 km and in the temperature for altitudes between 170 and 200 km. At exospheric heights, the magnitudes of the semidiurnal modes in density and temperature are significantly smaller than those of the diurnal mode. The temperature phase is height-dependent in both diurnal and semidiurnal components below 200 km, thus contributing to phase differences between N2 density and temperature in both modes. No significant phase differences are apparent between N2 density and thermospheric temperature above 250 km.

Newton, G. P.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Diurnal and seasonal trends in the incidence of Sudden Commencements (SC) and Sudden Impulses SI

Based on world data for the period 1 January 1955 to 31 December 1968, reports of 894 SC cases and 2152 SI cases were collected. A study was made of the diurnal and seasonal trends in the incidence of their appearances. It is shown that the diurnal trend is pronounced for all events with a maximum at (06-8)h universal time. The diurnal trend for SC in the resultant period is more pronounced. The seasonal trend in incidence of appearances of SC and SI is absent. Thus, geomagnetic disturbances of both SC and SI are monitored by world time. These results lead to the conclusion that the presence or absence of SC and SI during geomagnetic storms is determined not only by the nature of the corpuscular flux, the presence of shock waves and tangential discontinuities, but also by purely terrestrial conditions.

Nesmyanovich, E. I.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A study of the diurnal variation in the thermosphere as derived by satellite drag

An analysis was performed on 29,574 densities derived from the drag of 10 satellites to determine simultaneously the parameters of the solar-activity effect in the thermosphere on the one hand, and the amplitude and shape of the diurnal-variation curve on the other. This paper reports on the study of the diurnal variation only. Although a considerable amount of smoothing is inherent in the drag method, it seemed useful to see whether any change could be detected in the shape of the diurnal-variation curve with height, latitude and solar activity. None was detected; the curve remains remarkably stable, symmetric, with a maximum at 14 hr 20 min L.S.T. and a minimum at 2 hr 20 min L.S.T. A systematic variation of the temperature range with height is observed when static models are used to derive it.

Jacchia, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Influence of planetary-scale topography on the diurnal thermal tide during the 1971 Martian dust storm

Data obtained with the Mariner 9 infrared spectroscopy experiment during the Martian Dust Storm of 1971 to 1972 are examined for evidence of topographic influence on the atmospheric thermal structure. Temperature perturbations which are well correlated with the planetary scale topography are found superposed on the large amplitude diurnal thermal tide. Applications of tidal theory to the data indicate that the observed perturbations result from the kinematic interaction of the westward traveling diurnal wave with the large scale components of topography. The dominant mode is excited by the wave-number two topography component and is a vertically evanescent eastward traveling wave with an equivalent depth comparable to the atmospheric scale height. The principle dynamic effect of this mode is the enhancement of the amplitude of the near-surface diurnal wind to over 40m/sec in limited areas near 30 deg south latitude. It appears likely that dust was injected into the atmosphere in these regions during the storm.

Conrath, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Mount for continuously orienting a collector dish in a system adapted to perform both diurnal and seasonal solar tracking

A collector dish is continuously oriented toward the sun in a system adapted to perform both diurnal and seasonal solar tracking. The mount is characterized by a rigid, angulated axle having a linear midportion supporting a collector dish, and oppositely extended end portions normally related to the midportion of the axle and received in spaced journals. The longitudinal axis of symmetry for the midportion of the axle is coincident with a seasonal axis while the axes of the journals are coincident with a diurnal axis paralleling the earth's polar axis. Drive means are provided for periodically displacing the axle about the diurnal axis at a substantially constant rate, while other drive means are provided for periodically indexing the dish through 1 deg about the seasonal axis whereby the position of the dish relative to the axle is varied for accommodating seasonal tracking as changes in the angle of inclination of the polar axis occurs.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Influence of planetary-scale topography on the diurnal thermal tide during the 1971 Martian dust storm

Data obtained with the Mariner 9 infrared spectroscopy experiment during the Martian dust storm of 1971-72 are examined for evidence of topographic influence on the atmospheric thermal structure. Temperature perturbations which are well correlated with the planetary-scale topography are found superposed on the large-amplitude diurnal thermal tide previously reported. Applications of tidal theory to the data indicate that the observed perturbations result from the kinematic interaction of the westward traveling diurnal wave with the large-scale components of topography. The dominant mode is excited by the wavenumber 2 topography component and is a vertically evanescent, eastward traveling wave with an equivalent depth comparable to the atmospheric-scale height. The principle dynamic effect of this mode is the enhancement of the amplitude of the near-surface diurnal wind to over 40 m/s in limited areas near 30 deg S latitude. Thus, it appears likely that dust was injected into the atmosphere in these regions during the storm. Other waves excited include vertically propagating modes which produce little effect in the lower atmosphere, but may represent a source of energy for the upper atmosphere during dust storm conditions.

Conrath, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Diurnal variations in the thermosphere. II - Temperature, composition, and winds

The fundamental diurnal component of temperature, composition and wind fields is discussed for the thermosphere, the results delineated in terms of energy sources in the lower atmosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere, illustrating their relative significance. The diurnal component in the composition of H, He, O, O2 and Ar has been analyzed in terms of effects from thermal expansion in diffusive equilibrium and transport processes associated with chemistry, wind circulation, exospheric flow and escape. Next to thermal expansion, wind-induced diffusion is the single most important process; it dominates the diurnal variations of He and prevails in the variations of O, O2 and Ar below 200 km.

Mayr, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The optimization of self-phased arrays for diurnal motion tracking of synchronous satellites

The diurnal motion of a synchronous satellite necessitates mechanical tracking when a large aperture, high gain antenna is employed at the earth terminal. An alternative solution to this tracking problem is to use a self phased array consisting of a number of fixed pointed elements, each with moderate directivity. Non-mechanical tracking and adequate directive gain are achieved electronically by phase coherent summing of the element outputs. The element beamwidths provide overlapping area coverage of the satellite motion but introduce a diurnal variation into the array gain. The optimum element beamwidth and pointing direction of these elements can be obtained under the condition that the array gain is maximized simultaneously with the minimization of the diurnal variation.

Theobold, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A note on the diurnal averaging of aeronomical models

An approximate technique for diurnally time-averaging atmospheric photochemical-dynamical models which eliminates the need for a detailed numerical resolution of sunrise and sunset transitions is developed. The scheme is equivalent to scaling certain chemical rate constants and photodissociation coefficients by appropriate aeronomical factors. To calculate the scaling factors, diurnal variations are parameterized with a step-function behavior, assuming that each species has a constant day-time and night-time concentration whose ratio can be determined by analyzing the chemical interactions occurring after sunset. The solution accounts for the effects of night-time reactions on the 24 h average values of species abundances, and on the average daily rates of the catalytic processes consuming ozone in the stratosphere. The accuracy of the technique is demonstrated by comparing its predictions to those of a full diurnal simulation; typically, the precision is better than 10%. By contrast, it is shown that the use of some other well-known computational schemes can result in significantly larger predictive errors.

Turco, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Some diurnal properties of clouds over the Martian volcanoes

The diurnal properties of cloud systems over Martian volcanoes observed by the Viking Orbiter spacecraft are discussed. Photographic sequences of diurnal cloud development are presented for clouds in the vicinity of Elysium Mons and Ascraeus Mons, and the rapid growth of cloudiness starting at 11.23 LT is noted. The low-lying fogs and convective afternoon clouds observed are characterized as water ice clouds, while the cirrus-type clouds may be composed of CO2. The diurnal development of the clouds is then explained in terms of local atmospheric stability and circulation as influenced by surface topography and thermal properties. Consideration is also given to possible reasons for the pronounced seasonal variations in cloudiness.

Hunt, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Spectral and diurnal variations in clear sky planetary albedo

Spectral and diurnal variations in the clear sky planetary albedo of the earth are calculated using a radiative transfer model to obtain January and July values for a 5 deg x 5 deg global grid. The model employs observed climatological values of temperatures, humidities, snow and sea-ice cover. The diurnal cycle of clear sky albedo is calculated in the following intervals: 0.2-0.5, 0.5-0.7, and 0.7-4 microns. Observed ozone distribution is specified as a function of latitude and season. The 0.2-0.5 micron spectral albedo is 10-20% higher than the total albedo for all latitudes because of Rayleigh scattering; the 0.5-0.7 micron albedo differs from the total albedo by 1-2% for most latitudes, while the 0.7-4 micron albedo is 5-10% lower than the total because of strong atmospheric absorption. Planetary albedo decreases from morning to local noon, with diurnal variations being particularly strong over water.

Briegleb, B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Comparison of longwave diurnal models applied to simulations of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) is a multisatellite experiment which is to be implemented in the mid 1980s. The experiment involves a utilization of instruments on one or more sun-synchronous satellites in the NOAA series, and the employment of a dedicated spacecraft, the ERBS, in a 57 deg orbit. One of the objectives of ERBE is related to an improvement of knowledge regarding the diurnal variability in the earth's radiation balance. In the present investigation, satellite samples of longwave (LW) radiation over land are simulated for both sun-synchronous and non-sun-synchronous orbits. Three different LW diurnal models are then applied to the sampled data, and the resulting modeled monthly net LW radiant exitances are compared against reference values based on complete hourly sampling of the area for a month. The results demonstrate the general usefulness of a trigonometric diurnal LW model for land regions with daytime heating trends.

Brooks, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Long term changes in cosmic ray diurnal variations observed by ion chambers in Hong Kong and Japan

Yearly average solar diurnal variations of cosmic ray ion chamber data are inspected from a view point of the eleven and the 22 year solar activity cycle modulations. Ion chamber data and neutron data from various stations are added. From an inspection of observed data, a simple approximation that the 11 year and the 22 year variations of the solar diurnal variation are along 18-hour and 12-hour axes, respectively is proposed. The 18-hour component of diurnal variation in the 11 year cycle increases toward the solar active years. The 12-hour component is enhanced when the solar general magnetic field is parallel to the rotation vector, and is almost zero for the other state. The transition occurs when the amplitude of the 18-hour component is greater owing to the transition of the field during the maximum phase of solar activity. The 22 year shift is consistent with the drift modulation model in heliosphere.

Chuang, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Diurnal variations of cosmic ray geomagnetic cut-off threshold rigidities

The spectrographic global survey method was used to investigate the rigidity variations Rc of geomagnetic cut-off as a function of local time and the level of geomagnetic disturbance for a number of stations of the world wide network. It is shown that geomagnetic cut-off threshold rigidities undergo diurnal variations. The diurnal wave amplitude decreases with increasing threshold rigidity Rc, and the wave maximum occurs at 2 to 4 hr LT. The amplitude of diurnal variations increases with increasing geomagnetic activity. The results agree with those from trajectory calculations made for an asymmetric model of the magnetosphere during different geomagnetic disturbance conditions.

Dvornikov, V. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Diurnal and seasonal variations of clouds from geostationary satellite data

Hourly 8-km visible (0.55-0.75 micron) and infrared (10.5-12.5 microns) data from the eastern Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite were analyzed with a hybrid bispectral threshold method to yield total, low, middle, and high level cloud fractions and cloud radiative parameters for 250 x 250 sq km regions. These data were analyzed for the area between 45 deg N and 45 deg S, and longitudes 30 deg W and 125 deg W for the autumn of 1978 and the winter of 1979. Preliminary results for winter are presented in the present study. It is shown that diurnal variations of clouds may reveal diurnal variability in regional and large-scale circulation patterns. These diurnal cloud cycles may also have substantial effects on regional and large-scale radiation budgets and, therefore, influence circulation patterns at various spatial scales.

Minnis, P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Data Descriptions and Vertical Structure Plots for Mean, Diurnal, and Semidurnal Components of Eastward and Northward (ordered by Latitude). Mean Winds and Tides over Poker Flat, Alaska (65 Deg N, 147 Deg W), During November 1981

The mean zonal and meridional winds and the amplitude and phase structures for the tidal harmonics for the month of November, 1981 are given. The mean winds are weak westerlies and weak southerlies. The westerlies are approximately 10 ms (-1) lower than those during November 1980 and 1982. The diurnal amplitudes are small in both the zonal and meridional wind components. The diurnal phase structures are characteristic of a propagating wave having a ertical wavelength of approximately 50 km. The semidiurnal tidal harmonic amplitudes are slightly larger than the diurnal amplitudes. However, the phase structures are different for the zonal and meridional components. The meridional phase structure appears evanescent. The zonal phase structure has a phase reversal at 88 km with downward phase progression below that level and upward phase progression above that level. The vertical wavelength is roximately 12 km. This short vertical wavelength occurs during other months of the year but longer wavelengths are more common.

Avery, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Tidal influences on vertical diffusion and diurnal variability of ozone in the mesosphere

Possible dynamical influences on the diurnal behavior of ozone are investigated. A time dependent one-dimensional photochemical model is developed for this purpose; all model calculations are made at 70 deg N during summer. It is shown that the vertical diffusion can vary as much as 1 order of magnitude within a day as a result of large changes in the zonal wind induced by atmospheric thermal tides. It is found that by introducing a dissipation time scale for turbulence produced by breaking gravity waves, the agreement with Poker Flat echo data is improved. Comparisons of results from photochemical model calculations, where the vertical diffusion is a function of height only, with those in which the vertical diffusion coefficient is changing in time show large differences in the diurnal behavior of ozone between 70 and 90 km. By including the dynamical effect, much better agreement with the Solar Mesosphere Explorers data is obtained. The results are, however, sensitive to the background zonally averaged wind. The influence of including time-varying vertical diffusion coefficient on the OH densities is also large, especially between 80 and 90 km. This suggests that dynamical effects are important in determining the diurnal behavior of the airglow emission from the Meinel bands.

Bjarnason, Gudmundur G.↗