Meteorological Predictions for Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Site at Jezero Crater

Area of Science:

• Planetary Science
• Atmospheric Science
• Mars Meteorology

Background:

• Accurate weather prediction is crucial for Mars missions.
• Previous modeling efforts provide a basis for current simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To predict local meteorological conditions at the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site in Jezero Crater.
• To support the interpretation of data from the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA).
• To forecast weather phenomena impacting rover operations and scientific measurements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) and Mars Weather Research and Forecasting (MarsWRF) model.
• Employed the COmplutense and MIchigan Mars Radiative Transfer (COMIMART) model and Single Column Model (SCM) for radiative forcing and water cycle refinement.
• Simulated diurnal cycles across four Martian seasons (Ls 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°).

Main Results:

• Modeled key meteorological parameters including air/ground temperatures, pressure, wind, radiative fluxes, and moisture.
• Demonstrated good agreement with prior observational and modeling studies.
• Established a baseline for predicting the Jezero Crater's meteorological environment.

Conclusions:

• The MRAMS and MarsWRF models provide reliable predictions for the Perseverance rover's landing site.
• The modeling results will aid in mission operations and scientific data interpretation.
• Validation against MEDA data will further confirm the models' accuracy.