Atmospheric meridional heat transport plays a central role in the climate systems of both Earth and Mars, helping to regulate the north-south temperature difference. Dr. Barnes will use numerical experiments with a simplified atmospheric General Circulation Model (GCM) to investigate eddy heat transports and their role in determining the zonal-mean meridional temperature gradient. The results should shed considerable light on the differences between the terrestrial and Martian transient eddy regimes, and contribute to a better fundamental understanding of how eddy heat transport acts to regulate the meridional thermal gradient in the two atmospheres. Understanding this is important to assessing the effects of climatic variations on longer time scales for both planets. Funding for this project is shared between the Division of Astronomical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. ***
