P66     MarsMPAS: It's MPAS, but for Mars.

Richardson, Mark I., and Yuan Lian, Aeolis Research

MarsMPAS is a Martian atmospheric adaptation of the MPAS model. It uses Martian physics routine developed for the long-standing MarsWRF model (see planetWRF.com/publications.html for papers describing the conversion and applications).  Akin with MarsWRF, MarsMPAS currently treats the global atmosphere from the surface up to the levels at which UV heating and associated photochemical processes become important (about 100km). The model treats the seasonal cycle of the major atmospheric species CO2 (about 95%), and the distribution of water vapour, water ice clouds, dust, and a passive tracer representing nitrogen and argon. Initial results from MarsMPAS show that the model reproduces basic features such as temporal and spatial variation of zonal mean temperature, the Viking lander pressures due to CO2 cycle and seasonal variation of total CO2 gas and ice mass budget. Under certain circumstance, we were able to achieve a maximum argon enhancement factor of 5 to 6, in better agreement with spacecraft observations than prior Mars GCMs. UV, non-LTE IR, and associated photochemical processes are currently being added to allow treatment up to 240km and simulation of the combined Mars Climate Sounder and MAVEN observations from the near-surface into the thermosphere.