Dust and cloud transport by traveling waves in the Martian atmosphere studied with Mars Climate Sounder

Traveling waves in the Martian atmospheres play a crucial role in determining the weather and climate, particularly at mid-to-high latitudes. Previous observations have shown that these waves become prominent from early autumn to late winter in the northern hemisphere, influencing the dust cycle. However, their impact on the transport of dust and water ice clouds has not been studied quantitatively. Investigating the interaction between traveling waves and transport of such substances provides deeper insights into the climatology of Mars. In this study, we utilize data taken by the Mars Climate Sounder onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Observations reveal eastward-propagating waves during the northern autumn and winter, identified as Rossby waves. The results show that waves with a zonal wavenumber of 1 become prominent during this period and in this region. Moreover, there is a correlation among the periodic variations of the temperature, dust, and water ice. The amplitudes of the temperature, dust, and water ice variations are roughly consistent with each other, suggesting that the variations are all driven by the meridional advection associated with the traveling waves. These findings suggest that traveling waves play a significant role in the transport of dust and water ice clouds on Mars.