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Morphological and Dynamical Analysis of Atmospheric Gravity Waves on Mars Using Mars Express HRSC Observations.

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Title: Morphological and Dynamical Analysis of Atmospheric Gravity Waves on Mars Using Mars Express HRSC Observations.
Authors: Brasil, F.1,2 (AUTHOR), Machado, P.1,2 (AUTHOR) machado@oal.ul.pt, Gilli, G.1,3 (AUTHOR), Tirsch, D.4 (AUTHOR), Cardesín‐Moinelo, A.1,3,5 (AUTHOR), Silva, J. E.1,6 (AUTHOR), Espadinha, D.1,2 (AUTHOR), Carter, J.7,8 (AUTHOR), Martin, P.5 (AUTHOR), Wilson, C.9 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets. Jul2026, Vol. 131 Issue 7, p1-23. 23p.
Subject Terms: Gravity waves, Mars (Planet), Theory of wave motion, Zonal winds, Stereoscopic cameras
Abstract: We present a systematic detection and characterization of mesoscale atmospheric gravity waves in Martian clouds using High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) imagery from Mars Express during Martian Years 34–37. Gravity wave packets were identified in the HRSC Cloud Atlas data set, and their morphology (horizontal wavelength, packet width/length, orientation) was measured on map‐projected products. Cloud top altitudes were derived from blue‐green parallax using HRSC's multi‐channel imaging geometry. For a subset of stereo–temporal "brooming" pairs separated by Δt≈30 ${\Delta }t\approx 30$ min, horizontal winds were derived by manual feature tracking, enabling direct estimates of observed and intrinsic phase speeds and implied vertical wavelengths at the packet scale. We cataloged 146 packets, of which 114 were morphologically characterized, measured 100 cloud top heights, and 11 had full dynamical characterization. Horizontal wavelengths span 2–117 km with an average of 29 km. Cloud tops show a dominant concentration between ≈15 and 40 km, and a less frequent extension to 60–100 km, with uncertainty ∼3–10 km, and clear spatial and seasonal variability. For the dynamical subset, observed phase speeds are 2.0–8.6 m/s, intrinsic phase speeds are 0.4–6.2 m/s, and implied vertical wavelengths are 0.2–3.4 km. These results demonstrate that HRSC repeat‐track imaging enables packet‐scale constraints on intrinsic gravity wave drag and mesoscale dynamics in Martian circulation models. Plain Language Summary: Gravity waves are gentle ripples in Mars's thin air that can shape clouds and steer winds. We looked for them in cloud images from the High Resolution Stereo Camera on Mars Express during Martian Years 34–37. First we mapped the shape of each wave group, including the spacing between crests and the size of the group. Then we used HRSC's multiple color channels and short repeat views taken about 30 min apart to estimate cloud top heights and motion. Most waves have crest spacing from 5 to 35 km and nearly east‐west crests. Cloud tops show a dominant concentration between 15 and 40 km, and a less frequent extension to 60–100 km. The patterns move only a few meters per second, which implies short vertical scales for the waves. Together, these measurements provide new constraints that can be used to improve how gravity waves are represented in Mars climate models. Key Points: We catalog 146 gravity wave packets; 114 have morphology, 100 cloud top heights, and 11 include winds and vertical wavelengthHRSC multi‐channel and short‐interval repeats retrieve cloud top heights and local winds for Martian gravity wave packetsRetrieved Intrinsic speeds are 0.4–6.2 m/s with vertical wavelengths of 0.2–3.4 km [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract:We present a systematic detection and characterization of mesoscale atmospheric gravity waves in Martian clouds using High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) imagery from Mars Express during Martian Years 34–37. Gravity wave packets were identified in the HRSC Cloud Atlas data set, and their morphology (horizontal wavelength, packet width/length, orientation) was measured on map‐projected products. Cloud top altitudes were derived from blue‐green parallax using HRSC's multi‐channel imaging geometry. For a subset of stereo–temporal "brooming" pairs separated by Δt≈30 ${\Delta }t\approx 30$ min, horizontal winds were derived by manual feature tracking, enabling direct estimates of observed and intrinsic phase speeds and implied vertical wavelengths at the packet scale. We cataloged 146 packets, of which 114 were morphologically characterized, measured 100 cloud top heights, and 11 had full dynamical characterization. Horizontal wavelengths span 2–117 km with an average of 29 km. Cloud tops show a dominant concentration between ≈15 and 40 km, and a less frequent extension to 60–100 km, with uncertainty ∼3–10 km, and clear spatial and seasonal variability. For the dynamical subset, observed phase speeds are 2.0–8.6 m/s, intrinsic phase speeds are 0.4–6.2 m/s, and implied vertical wavelengths are 0.2–3.4 km. These results demonstrate that HRSC repeat‐track imaging enables packet‐scale constraints on intrinsic gravity wave drag and mesoscale dynamics in Martian circulation models. Plain Language Summary: Gravity waves are gentle ripples in Mars's thin air that can shape clouds and steer winds. We looked for them in cloud images from the High Resolution Stereo Camera on Mars Express during Martian Years 34–37. First we mapped the shape of each wave group, including the spacing between crests and the size of the group. Then we used HRSC's multiple color channels and short repeat views taken about 30 min apart to estimate cloud top heights and motion. Most waves have crest spacing from 5 to 35 km and nearly east‐west crests. Cloud tops show a dominant concentration between 15 and 40 km, and a less frequent extension to 60–100 km. The patterns move only a few meters per second, which implies short vertical scales for the waves. Together, these measurements provide new constraints that can be used to improve how gravity waves are represented in Mars climate models. Key Points: We catalog 146 gravity wave packets; 114 have morphology, 100 cloud top heights, and 11 include winds and vertical wavelengthHRSC multi‐channel and short‐interval repeats retrieve cloud top heights and local winds for Martian gravity wave packetsRetrieved Intrinsic speeds are 0.4–6.2 m/s with vertical wavelengths of 0.2–3.4 km [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:21699097
DOI:10.1029/2025JE009621