Martian dust devil statistics from high‐resolution large‐eddy simulations

Dust devils are one of the key elements in the Martian atmospheric circulation. In order to examine their statistics, we conducted high‐resolution (up to 5 m) and wide‐domain (about 20 × 20 km2) large‐eddy simulations of the Martian daytime convective layer. Large numbers of dust devils developed sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2016-05, Vol.43 (9), p.4180-4188
Main Authors: Nishizawa, Seiya, Odaka, Masatsugu, Takahashi, Yoshiyuki O., Sugiyama, Ko‐ichiro, Nakajima, Kensuke, Ishiwatari, Masaki, Takehiro, Shin‐ichi, Yashiro, Hisashi, Sato, Yousuke, Tomita, Hirofumi, Hayashi, Yoshi‐Yuki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric particulates
Circulation
Circulation distribution
Cyclones
Dust
dust devil
Dust devils
Dust storms
Frequency distribution
Grid refinement (mathematics)
High resolution
Large eddy simulation
Large eddy simulations
LES
Marine
Mars
Mars atmosphere
Mars dust
Oceanic eddies
Power law
Pressure drop
Probability distribution functions
Resolution
Simulation
Size distribution
Statistical methods
Statistics
Vertical vorticity
Vortices
Vorticity
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Summary:Dust devils are one of the key elements in the Martian atmospheric circulation. In order to examine their statistics, we conducted high‐resolution (up to 5 m) and wide‐domain (about 20 × 20 km2) large‐eddy simulations of the Martian daytime convective layer. Large numbers of dust devils developed spontaneously in the simulations, which enabled us to represent a quantitative consideration of Martian dust devil frequency distributions. We clarify the distributions of size and intensity, a topic of debate, and conclude that the maximum vertical vorticity of an individual dust devil has an exponential distribution, while the radius and circulation have power law distributions. A grid refinement experiment shows that the rate parameter of the vorticity distribution and the exponent of the circulation distribution are robust. The mode of the size distribution depends on the resolution, and it is suggested that the mode is less than 5 m. Key Points Quantitative considerations on statistics of Martian dust devils LES with 5 m resolution for 20 times 20 km2 domain Frequency distributions of size, pressure drop, velocity, vorticity, and circulation of dust devils
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2016GL068896