{"id":{"repo_id":"rice","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.rice.edu:1911/16664"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/rice/oai:repository.rice.edu:1911/16664","repository":{"repo_id":"rice","name":"Rice University","base_url":"https://repository.rice.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A zonally and annually averaged study of potential early Martian atmospheres","abstract":"Observations of the surface of Mars suggest a high probability of surface water activity in that planet's past. Consequently, many studies of Mars' early atmosphere have attempted to estimate the carbon dioxide level by requiring that surface temperatures be high enough to support surface liquid water. In the main, these studies have employed one-dimensional, radiative-convective climate models capable of considering only a single solar zenith angle, typically chosen to represent a global and annual average. Such models are hence not well suited for considering meridional variations in the temperature profile, which are affected by variations in the orbital obliquity and the meridional redistribution of heat by dynamic processes. I describe modifications to a more complex model, the multi-level energy balance model designed at NASA's Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, which make it suitable for study of an atmosphere with varying carbon dioxide levels. Vertically and meridionally defined, the model includes heating and cooling by radiation, mean meridional circulation, large-scale (baroclinic) and small-scale (convective) eddies, and surface turbulent flux. I present annually-averaged results for an examination of potential atmospheres of early Mars, given that its carbon dioxide level may range from 0 to 500 Pa and the orbital obliquity from 0$\\sp\\circ$ to 50$\\sp\\circ.$ These results are compared with those obtained from a radiative-convective model.","abstract_html":"Observations of the surface of Mars suggest a high probability of surface water activity in that planet's past. Consequently, many studies of Mars' early atmosphere have attempted to estimate the carbon dioxide level by requiring that surface temperatures be high enough to support surface liquid water. In the main, these studies have employed one-dimensional, radiative-convective climate models capable of considering only a single solar zenith angle, typically chosen to represent a global and annual average. Such models are hence not well suited for considering meridional variations in the temperature profile, which are affected by variations in the orbital obliquity and the meridional redistribution of heat by dynamic processes. I describe modifications to a more complex model, the multi-level energy balance model designed at NASA's Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, which make it suitable for study of an atmosphere with varying carbon dioxide levels. Vertically and meridionally defined, the model includes heating and cooling by radiation, mean meridional circulation, large-scale (baroclinic) and small-scale (convective) eddies, and surface turbulent flux. I present annually-averaged results for an examination of potential atmospheres of early Mars, given that its carbon dioxide level may range from 0 to 500 Pa and the orbital obliquity from 0$\\sp\\circ$ to 50$\\sp\\circ.$ These results are compared with those obtained from a radiative-convective model.","abstract_has_math":true,"creators":["Schmunk, Robert Bradley"],"institution":"Rice University","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Natural Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Few, Arthur A., Jr."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1993,"date_issued":"1993","date_published":"1993","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:10:19Z","subjects":["Atmospheric sciences"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1911/16664","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Few, Arthur A., Jr."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Schmunk, Robert Bradley"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2009-06-04T00:06:31Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2009-06-04T00:06:31Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1993"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Natural Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Rice University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Atmospheric sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1911/16664"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Observations of the surface of Mars suggest a high probability of surface water activity in that planet's past. Consequently, many studies of Mars' early atmosphere have attempted to estimate the carbon dioxide level by requiring that surface temperatures be high enough to support surface liquid water. In the main, these studies have employed one-dimensional, radiative-convective climate models capable of considering only a single solar zenith angle, typically chosen to represent a global and annual average. Such models are hence not well suited for considering meridional variations in the temperature profile, which are affected by variations in the orbital obliquity and the meridional redistribution of heat by dynamic processes. I describe modifications to a more complex model, the multi-level energy balance model designed at NASA's Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, which make it suitable for study of an atmosphere with varying carbon dioxide levels. Vertically and meridionally defined, the model includes heating and cooling by radiation, mean meridional circulation, large-scale (baroclinic) and small-scale (convective) eddies, and surface turbulent flux. I present annually-averaged results for an examination of potential atmospheres of early Mars, given that its carbon dioxide level may range from 0 to 500 Pa and the orbital obliquity from 0$\\sp\\circ$ to 50$\\sp\\circ.$ These results are compared with those obtained from a radiative-convective model."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A zonally and annually averaged study of potential early Martian atmospheres"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Few, Arthur A., Jr."],"dc:creator":["Schmunk, Robert Bradley"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2009-06-04T00:06:31Z"],"dc:date.available":["2009-06-04T00:06:31Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1993"],"dc:description.abstract":["Observations of the surface of Mars suggest a high probability of surface water activity in that planet's past. Consequently, many studies of Mars' early atmosphere have attempted to estimate the carbon dioxide level by requiring that surface temperatures be high enough to support surface liquid water. In the main, these studies have employed one-dimensional, radiative-convective climate models capable of considering only a single solar zenith angle, typically chosen to represent a global and annual average. Such models are hence not well suited for considering meridional variations in the temperature profile, which are affected by variations in the orbital obliquity and the meridional redistribution of heat by dynamic processes. I describe modifications to a more complex model, the multi-level energy balance model designed at NASA's Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, which make it suitable for study of an atmosphere with varying carbon dioxide levels. Vertically and meridionally defined, the model includes heating and cooling by radiation, mean meridional circulation, large-scale (baroclinic) and small-scale (convective) eddies, and surface turbulent flux. I present annually-averaged results for an examination of potential atmospheres of early Mars, given that its carbon dioxide level may range from 0 to 500 Pa and the orbital obliquity from 0$\\sp\\circ$ to 50$\\sp\\circ.$ These results are compared with those obtained from a radiative-convective model."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1911/16664"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder."],"dc:subject":["Atmospheric sciences"],"dc:title":["A zonally and annually averaged study of potential early Martian atmospheres"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Natural Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Rice University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:10:19Z"}