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Variability Aspects of the Mars Surface Data from Summer to Winter Solstice: Viking Lander 1 Observations Revisited

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Abstract

In this work, we revisited the meteorological datasets of temperature and pressure, recorded onboard the Viking Lander 1, evolving from summer to winter Martian solstice. The datasets were provided by the Viking Meteorology Experiment Team and we performed the study using a multiscale signal analysis technique based on an available wavelet transform methodology. Even in the presence of data gaps, the methodology provides the skill to perform the time-scale signal characterization. We highlighted the results with new features related to the non-stationary behavior in the data. The main spectral periods found in pressure data are 0.25 SOL (6.25 h), 0.33 SOL (8.3 h), 0.5 SOL (12.5 h), 1 SOL (25 h), 10.2 SOLS, a broad peak between 21 and 33 SOLS. In temperature, the main periods were 0.5 SOL (12.5 h), 1 SOL (25 h), and 32 and 64 SOLS. The correlation between the pressure and temperature data shows anti-correlation in the scales larger than 1.5 SOL, with a high determination coefficient (more than 64%).

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the Viking Meteorology Experiment Team and Planetary Data System and Prof. Peter Frick for the scientific discussions about gap-CWT and original codes. We also thank B. M. Reis and R. T. Seo for computational assistance that improved the visualizations in the present work and, the anonymous revisers for the suggestions that help in the improvement of this manuscript, and moreover motivating ideas for future works.

Funding

The authors thank CAPES (grant PNPD-GES/INPE), CNPq (grants 151609/2009 − 8, 306038/2015 − 3, 302583/2015 − 7, and 307083/2017 − 9), and FAPESP (grant 2015/25624 − 2) for the financial support.

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Correspondence to Mariza Pereira de Souza Echer.

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de Souza Echer, M.P., Domingues, M.O., Mendes, O. et al. Variability Aspects of the Mars Surface Data from Summer to Winter Solstice: Viking Lander 1 Observations Revisited. Braz J Phys 49, 89–96 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13538-018-00623-8

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