The effect of orbital element variations on the mean seasonal daily insolation on Mars
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Authors
Van Hemelrijck, E.
Discipline
Physical sciences
Audience
Scientific
Date
1983Metadata
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In this paper we briefly study changes in the mean seasonal insolations on the planet Mars caused by significant large-scale variations in the following orbital elements: the eccentricity (e), the obliquity (ε) and the longitude of perihelion (λp). Three orbital configurations have been investigated. In the first, the eccentricity equals successively 0, 0.075, and 0.15, whereas for the obliquity and the longitude of perihelion we took the present values which amount, respectively to 25° and 250°. In the second situation, ε=15, 25, and 35° for a circular orbit (e=0) and with λp=250°. In the last model we have set e=0.075 and ε=25° for λp=-90,0, and 90°. Although long-term periodic oscillations of e (first case) and λp (third case) produce, respectively, very small or no variations in the average yearly insolation, fluctuations of the above mentioned planetary data strongly effect the mean summer and winter daily insolations. Indeed, the calculations reveal that between the two extreme values of the orbital elements used, the seasonal insolations exhibit a change in amplitude of about 15 to 20% difference over the entire latitude interval. Considering more particularly the second case it is found that the summertime insolation experiences a nearly similar variation as the mean annual daily insolation - i.e., a decrease of about 7% at the equator and a more than twofold increase at the poles. The corresponding mean winter daily insolation varies maximally by approximately 60% in the 60-80° latitude range.
Citation
Van Hemelrijck, E. (1983). The effect of orbital element variations on the mean seasonal daily insolation on Mars. , The Moon and the Planets, Vol. 28, Issue 2, 125-136, DOI: 10.1007/BF00927853.Identifiers
scopus: 2-s2.0-34250151544
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng