Methane storm characteristics and evolution in simulations of Titan’s hydroclimate

IF 2.5 2区 物理与天体物理 Q2 ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
{"title":"Methane storm characteristics and evolution in simulations of Titan’s hydroclimate","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116290","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Methane precipitation is a key component of the climate on Titan, and has been shown to impact surface features. Recent general circulation models (GCMs) have reproduced Titan’s hydroclimate, including precipitation, with increasing accuracy, yet characterization of their simulated precipitation events is lacking. We investigate the characteristics and evolution of methane storms simulated over 40 Titan years using the Titan Atmospheric Model, a validated GCM. Storms are identified and tracked using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm, allowing them to be followed through time and space. We find that storms follow seasonality expected from observations and prior modeling, occur preferentially in the summer hemisphere, and tend to start over high topography. The population of storms is bimodal in traits corresponding to intensity, area, and duration, with a large population of small, short-lived, and weakly precipitating storms and a smaller population of exceptionally large, long-lasting, and intense storms. These largest storms tend to evolve similarly over their lifetimes, peaking early in intensity and in the middle of their lives in area. We also find temporal clustering of storms, in alignment with observations and the proposed relaxation-oscillation model of Titan’s methane precipitation. These storm clusters emerge quasi-periodically following long dry spells during which evaporation of surface methane recharges atmospheric moisture. Approximately five clusters occur per Titan year, and their locations are strongly seasonal. Overall, our quantitative descriptions of storms and storm clusters over a long timescale provide additional insight into Titan’s methane cycle and surface features, and may assist in the planning of future missions such as <em>Dragonfly</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13199,"journal":{"name":"Icarus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Icarus","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103524003506","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Methane precipitation is a key component of the climate on Titan, and has been shown to impact surface features. Recent general circulation models (GCMs) have reproduced Titan’s hydroclimate, including precipitation, with increasing accuracy, yet characterization of their simulated precipitation events is lacking. We investigate the characteristics and evolution of methane storms simulated over 40 Titan years using the Titan Atmospheric Model, a validated GCM. Storms are identified and tracked using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm, allowing them to be followed through time and space. We find that storms follow seasonality expected from observations and prior modeling, occur preferentially in the summer hemisphere, and tend to start over high topography. The population of storms is bimodal in traits corresponding to intensity, area, and duration, with a large population of small, short-lived, and weakly precipitating storms and a smaller population of exceptionally large, long-lasting, and intense storms. These largest storms tend to evolve similarly over their lifetimes, peaking early in intensity and in the middle of their lives in area. We also find temporal clustering of storms, in alignment with observations and the proposed relaxation-oscillation model of Titan’s methane precipitation. These storm clusters emerge quasi-periodically following long dry spells during which evaporation of surface methane recharges atmospheric moisture. Approximately five clusters occur per Titan year, and their locations are strongly seasonal. Overall, our quantitative descriptions of storms and storm clusters over a long timescale provide additional insight into Titan’s methane cycle and surface features, and may assist in the planning of future missions such as Dragonfly.

土卫六水文气候模拟中的甲烷风暴特征和演变
甲烷降水是土卫六气候的一个关键组成部分,已被证明会影响地表特征。最近的大气环流模式(GCMs)越来越精确地再现了土卫六的水文气候,包括降水,但缺乏对其模拟降水事件的特征描述。我们利用经过验证的 GCM--土卫六大气模型,研究了 40 个土卫六年中模拟的甲烷风暴的特征和演变。我们使用基于密度的噪声应用空间聚类(DBSCAN)算法对风暴进行识别和跟踪,从而对它们进行时间和空间跟踪。我们发现,风暴遵循观测和先前建模所预期的季节性,偏好发生在夏半球,并倾向于从高地形开始。风暴群在强度、面积和持续时间等特征上呈双峰分布,其中有大量小型、持续时间短、降水弱的风暴,也有少量特别大、持续时间长、强度高的风暴。这些最大的风暴在其生命周期中的演变趋势相似,强度在早期达到顶峰,面积在生命中期达到顶峰。我们还发现风暴在时间上有集群现象,这与观测结果和提出的土卫六甲烷降水弛豫-振荡模型一致。这些风暴集群准周期性地出现在漫长的干旱期之后,在此期间地表甲烷的蒸发为大气补充了水分。土卫六每年大约会出现五个风暴群,其位置具有很强的季节性。总之,我们对长时间范围内的风暴和风暴集群的定量描述为我们提供了对土卫六甲烷循环和表面特征的更多了解,并可能有助于规划未来的任务,如蜻蜓任务。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Icarus
Icarus 地学天文-天文与天体物理
CiteScore
6.30
自引率
18.80%
发文量
356
审稿时长
2-4 weeks
期刊介绍: Icarus is devoted to the publication of original contributions in the field of Solar System studies. Manuscripts reporting the results of new research - observational, experimental, or theoretical - concerning the astronomy, geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific aspects of our Solar System or extrasolar systems are welcome. The journal generally does not publish papers devoted exclusively to the Sun, the Earth, celestial mechanics, meteoritics, or astrophysics. Icarus does not publish papers that provide "improved" versions of Bode''s law, or other numerical relations, without a sound physical basis. Icarus does not publish meeting announcements or general notices. Reviews, historical papers, and manuscripts describing spacecraft instrumentation may be considered, but only with prior approval of the editor. An entire issue of the journal is occasionally devoted to a single subject, usually arising from a conference on the same topic. The language of publication is English. American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信