A model of dust in the Martian lower atmosphere

A coupled boundary layer-Aeolian dust model of the Martian atmosphere is presented. This model was developed to determine how radiation (scattering, absorption, and emission) by dust affects the boundary layer and, in turn, how this affects the dust distribution in the atmosphere. This was achieved by coupling a planetary boundary layer (PBL) model with the 2007 dust model of P. A. Taylor et al. The principle motivation here is to determine whether it will be possible to use the lidar on board the Phoenix lander to detect the depth of the Martian boundary layer from the dust distribution. Runs were conducted for different dust profiles, roughness lengths, and geostrophic winds. These indicate that there should be a distinct horizon in dust concentration which will be detectable by the Phoenix lidar. The model is also applied to the 1977B dust storm optical data of Viking Lander 1, and our analysis indicates a significant improvement over previous 1-D studies of dust storm decay.