Results from the 2012 Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets

(CCTP) Conference

Mark Bullock & Lori Glaze Co-Chairs, CCTP Science Organizing Committee

7 May 2013

• Objectives of the CCTP were to: – Bring together experts from the earth science,

heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science communities

– provide a forum for fostering closer multidisciplinary dialogue on key themes, including long-term planetary scale evolution, the planetary energy balance, cloud formation, aerosols, precipitation, sub-surface and surface-atmosphere processes, and solar-atmosphere interactions.

• Waleed Abdalati (NASA Chief Scientist) – Convener • NASA support from:

– Planetary Science, – Earth Science, – Heliophysics, and – Astrophysics

• Community support from: – VEXAG, MEPAG, OPAG,

Scientific Organizing Committee, Representing Earth Science, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics

Mark Bullock

Lori Glaze Steve Bougher Brian Drouin

David Grinspoon Jeff Hollingsworth

Sanjay Limaye Steve Mackwell

Doug Rabin Sue Smrekar Wes Traub

Program Themes

Climate Change on Earth and Terrestrial Planets Terrestrial Planet Climate Models

Exoplanet Atmospheres – Chemistry and Observations Solar-Atmosphere Interactions

Interior-Atmosphere Interactions Geology and Climate on Terrestrial Planets

Motivation

• The planets in our Solar System provide a natural laboratory to explore environments that are radically different from Earth’s.

• Models developed for relatively mature Earth systems can serve as a useful guide for understanding the climates of Mars, Titan, Venus, and newly discovered exoplanets.

• This conference aimed to... – Identify new ways to explore climate processes on other

planets, including the use of models to address the long-term planetary scale coevolution of atmospheres with planets.

– Identify objectives for future terrestrial planet climate research and space missions.

– Identify external factors that influence planetary atmosphere climates, including those from solar, galactic and extra-galactic sources.

Jim Hansen Curt Covey Stephen Bougher Peter Read Ray Pierrehumbert

Brian Toon Lindy Elkins-Tanton Dave Pawlowski Christopher Lee Chris Parkinson

V.Ramanathan Stan Solomon Tom Woods Jerry Schubert Feng Tian

David Grinspoon Christophe Sotin Sebastien Lebonnois Jeff Hollingsworth Yohai Kaspi

Jeff Moore Pieter Deroo Franck Montmessin Mark Bullock Aaron Zent

Michael Coffin Sue Smrekar Francois Forget Mark Swain Eric Gaidos

Dave Crisp Lori Glaze Scott Rafkin Channon Visscher Joe Harrington

Colin Goldblatt David Brain Hakan Svedhem Sanjay Limaye Adam Showman

Tom Cravens Ralph Lorenz

Invited Speakers:

• Meeting Format: – 120 Attendees – 40 Invited Talks – Daily Panel Discussions – 60 Posters

• Public Event – Tuesday evening, June 26 – Over 600 people attended! – Bill Nye (The Science Guy), keynote speaker – Jim Hansen, Brian Toon, David Grinspoon, and Karen Rice – Panel interaction with audience

Recommended Next Steps • Maintain ad-hoc steering committee; work with AGs and other committees that

report to the NAC • Publish U of Arizona book • Exploit comparative climatology to excite public and students (e.g., fame lab,

planetary science summer school, etc.) • Create new interdisciplinary Comparative Climatology ROSES element • Encourage NASA support for observations of solar system planets using orbiting

telescopes, high altitude balloons, sounding rockets, etc., to maintain long-term continuous observations

• Investigate possibility of a joint NASA SMD – NSF interdisciplinary comparative climatology program

• Organize and sponsor CCTP-2 meeting in 2014-2015 (J. Hollingsworth at Ames)

Future Possibilities • Funding of small interdisciplinary working groups

with 10 – 15 Co-Is (modeled after Swiss International Space Science Institute, but with research funding in addition to travel).

• Create an Interplanetary Climate Model Intercomparison Program for comparing model results

Example Key Science Focus Areas (of 17) • Improve microphysics and chemistry of cloud and aerosol modeling • Develop standard comparisons and testing of GCMs • Long-term continuous modeling of albedos (Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan) • Impact of solar/stellar flares on habitability of planets/exoplanets • Role of planetary magnetic fields on climate evolution • Comparative studies of volatile budgets and role of volatiles in evolution

of climate • Understand the importance of interior processes such as mantle

convection and plate tectonics on climate • Observations and modeling of exoplanet atmospheres

University of Arizona Press Space Science Series Volume

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets Available October 2013

University of Arizona Press Space Science Series Volume

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets

University of Arizona Press Space Science Series Volume

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets

CCTP web site: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/climatology2012/ CCTP Book: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/books/climatology2012/