One Martian Year of Near‐Surface Temperatures at Jezero From MEDA Measurements on Mars2020/Perseverance

Abstract

Measurements of ground and near surface atmospheric temperatures at Jezero obtained during 700 sols by the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) characterize the thermal behavior of the near surface Martian atmosphere during a full Martian Year. The seasonal evolution of MEDA measurements is compared with predictions from the Mars Climate Database and the solar irradiance at the surface. Thermal tides observed in the daily cycle of temperatures follow a seasonal cycle with additional variations greater than 2 K on time‐scales of tens of sols. We also observe sol‐to‐sol variations of about 1 K in mean daily air temperatures in autumn and winter with periodicities of 4–7 sols that might be related to baroclinic disturbances that are frequent in those seasons at high latitudes. We examine the evolution of the vertical thermal gradient and temperature fluctuations without finding a seasonal response to irradiance and dust load. We find that the convective boundary layer becomes isothermal and collapses 1 hr before sunset except during northern hemisphere winter, when the collapse occurs closer to sunset, implying a longer duration of the daytime convective instability. Around this period, the rover was located in the delta front in a location of complex topography where we observed stronger thermal gradients and intense daytime air temperature fluctuations. We also find in this place a nighttime event of gravity waves on near‐surface air temperatures, with amplitudes of 2 K and periods of 10 min. These waves possibly propagate downward through a near isothermal stable layer.