Abstract The apparent end of the internally generated Martian magnetic field at 3.6–4.1 Ga is a key event in Martian history and has been linked to insufficient core cooling. We investigate the thermal and magnetic evolution of the Martian core and mantle using parameterized models and considered three improvements on previous studies. First, our models account for thermal stratification in the core. Second, the models are constrained by estimates for the present‐day areotherm. Third, we consider core thermal conductivity,, values in the range 5–40 Was suggested by recent experiments on iron alloys at Mars core conditions. The majority of our models indicate that the core of Mars is fully conductive at present with core temperatures greater than 1940 K. All of our models are consistent with the range ofW. Models with an activation volume of 6 (0)require a mantle reference viscosity of Pa s.
more »
« less
Fluid‐Kinetic Variations in the Storm‐Time Inner Magnetosphere
Abstract Storm‐time broadband electromagnetic field variations along the interface between the dipolar field of the Earth's inner‐magnetosphere and the stretched fields of the plasma‐sheet are decomposed as a superposition of fluid‐kinetic modes. Using model eigen‐vectors operating on the full set of Van Allen Probes fields measurements it is shown how these variations are composed of a broad spectrum of dispersive Alfvén waves with significant spectral energy densities in the fast and slow modes over scales extending into the kinetic range. These modes occupy volumes in‐space that define the field variations observed at each spacecraft frame frequency (). They are in aggregate not necessarily planar and often comprise filamentary structures with no distinct propagation direction in the perpendicular plane. Within these volumes the characteristic parallel phase speeds of the fast and Alfvénic modes coincide over a broad range ofsuggestive of coupling/conversion between modes.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2041971
- PAR ID:
- 10374458
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume:
- 49
- Issue:
- 9
- ISSN:
- 0094-8276
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract Global ocean mean salinityis a key indicator of the Earth's hydrological cycle and the exchanges of freshwater between land and ocean, but its determination remains a challenge. Aside from traditional methods based on gridded salinity fields derived from in situ measurements, we explore estimates ofbased on liquid freshwater changes derived from space gravimetry data corrected for sea ice effects. For the 2005–2019 period analyzed, the differentseries show little consistency in seasonal, interannual, and long‐term variability. In situ estimates show sensitivity to choice of product and unrealistic variations. A suspiciously large rise insince ∼2015 is enough to measurably affect halosteric sea level estimates and can explain recent discrepancies in the global mean sea level budget. Gravimetry‐basedestimates are more realistic, inherently consistent with estimated freshwater contributions to global mean sea level, and provide a way to calibrate the in situ estimates.more » « less
-
Abstract Serendipitous measurements of deep internal wave signatures are evident in oscillatory variations around the background descent rates reported by one model of Deep Argo float. For the 10,045 profiles analyzed here, the average root‐mean‐square of vertical velocity variances,, from 1,000 m to the seafloor, is 0.0045 m s−1, with a 5%–95% range of 0.0028–0.0067 m s−1. Dominant vertical wavelengths,λz, estimated from the integrals of lagged autocorrelation sequences have an average value of 757 m, with a 5%–95% range of 493–1,108 m. Bothandλzexhibit regional variations among and within some deep ocean basins, with generally largerand shorterλzin regions of rougher bathymetry or stronger deep currents. These correlations are both expected, since largerand shorterλzshould be found near internal wave generation regions.more » « less
-
Abstract As the abyssal oceans warm, stratification is also expected to change in response. This change may impact mixing and vertical transport by altering the buoyancy flux, internal wave generation, and turbulent dissipation. In this study, repeated surveys of three hydrographic sections in the Southwest Pacific Basin between the 1990s and 2010s are used to estimate the change in buoyancy frequency. We find that below the°C isotherm,is on average reduced by a scaling factor of, a 12% reduction, per decade that intensifies with depth. At°C, we observe the biggest change:, or a 29% reduction per decade. Within the same period, the magnitude of vertical diffusive heat flux is also reduced by about, although this estimate is sensitive to the choice of estimated diffusivity. Finally, implications of these results for the heat budget and global ocean circulation are qualitatively discussed.more » « less
-
Abstract The mechanisms underlying observed global patterns of partitioning precipitation () to evapotranspiration () and runoff () are controversially debated. We test the hypothesis that asynchrony between climatic water supply and demand is sufficient to explain spatio‐temporal variability of water availability. We developed a simple analytical model forthat is determined by four dimensionless characteristics of intra‐annual water supply and demand asynchrony. The analytical model, populated with gridded climate data, accurately predicted global runoff patterns within 2%–4% of independent estimates from global climate models, with spatial patterns closely correlated to observations (). The supply‐demand asynchrony hypothesis provides a physically based explanation for variability of water availability using easily measurable characteristics of climate. The model revealed widespread responsiveness of water budgets to changes in climate asynchrony in almost every global region. Furthermore, the analytical model using global averages independently reproduced the Budyko curve () providing theoretical foundation for this widely used empirical relationship.more » « less
An official website of the United States government
