The diverse meteorology of Jezero crater over the first 250 sols of Perseverance on Mars

• DOI: 10.1038/s41561-022-01084-0
• Publication Date: 2023-01-09T17:04:01Z
• Authors: J. A. Rodriguez-M...; M. de la Torre Ju...; A. Sanchez-Lavega; R. Hueso; G. Martinez; M. T. Lemmon; C. E. Newman; A. Munguira; M. Hieta; L. K. Tamppari; J. Polkko; D. Toledo; E. Sebastian; M. D. Smith; I. Jaakonaho; M. Genzer; A. De Vicente-Ret...; D. Viudez-Moreiras; M. Ramos; A. Saiz-Lopez; A. Lepinette; M. Wolff; R. J. Sullivan; J. Gomez-Elvira; V. Apestigue; P. G. Conrad; T. Del Rio-Gaztel...; N. Murdoch; I. Arruego; D. Banfield; J. Boland; A. J. Brown; J. Ceballos; M. Dominguez-Pumar; S. Espejo; A. G. Fairén; R. Ferrandiz; E. Fischer; M. Garcia-Villada...; S. Gimenez; F. Gomez-Gomez; S. D. Guzewich; A.-M. Harri; J. J. Jimenez; V. Jimenez; T. Makinen; M. Marin; C. Martin; J. Martin-Soler; A. Molina; L. Mora-Sotomayor; S. Navarro; V. Peinado; I. Perez-Grande; J. Pla-Garcia; M. Postigo; O. Prieto-Ballest...; S. C. R. Rafkin; M. I. Richardson; J. Romeral; C. Romero; H. Savijärvi; J. T. Schofield; J. Torres; R. Urqui; S. Zurita
• Keywords: Atmosphere of Mars; Water cycle; Planetary surface; Diurnal cycle

Abstract NASA’s Perseverance rover’s Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer is collecting data at Jezero crater, characterizing the physical processes in lowest layer of Martian atmosphere. Here we present measurements from instrument’s first 250 sols operation, revealing a spatially and temporally variable meteorology Jezero. We find that temperature four heights capture response atmospheric surface to multiple phenomena. observe transition stable night-time thermal inversion daytime, highly turbulent convective regime, with large vertical gradients. Measurement daily optical depths suggests aerosol concentrations are higher morning than afternoon. Measured wind patterns driven mainly by local topography, small contribution regional winds. Daily seasonal variability relative humidity shows complex hydrologic cycle. These observations suggest changes some properties, such as albedo inertia, play an influential role. On larger scale, pressure show typical signatures gravity waves baroclinic eddies part cycle previously characterized low wave activity. observations, both combined simultaneous, unveil diversity driving change on today’s crater.