Planetary Waves Traveling Between Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020

Using Perseverance (Mars 2020) and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) measurements, we obtain planetary waves with a period of 1.5–30 sols in the 1.5 m temperature, winds (Mars 2020), surface pressure, and relative humidity. Planetary waves emerge and propagate latitudinally across all variables. Short‐period waves peak at periods of ∼2, 3, and 4.5 sols, confirming previous detections of waves, and wave amplitudes agree at Mars 2020 and MSL for all variables. The simultaneous detection of waves within Gale and Jezero craters in multiple variables indicates that planetary‐scale dynamics influences many facets of local weather throughout the year. Multiple waves are correlated or anti‐correlated between MSL and Mars 2020, suggesting waves originate in both hemispheres. Further, waves at one site do not always lead the other, suggesting a combination of baroclinic and barotropic processes as wave sources, determined from the phasing of the temperature and winds in Jezero compared to the Ensemble Mars Atmospheric Reanalysis System. Plain Language Summary Atmospheric waves on Mars can initiate large dust storms, so understanding their properties is critical for the safety of missions. The surface pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and winds of Gale and Jezero craters are analyzed by Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and Mars 2020 to quantify the signal of planetary waves over the first few months of the Mars 2020 mission. Mars 2020 and MSL detect waves in all variables with frequencies similar to observations from orbit and elsewhere on the surface. Comparing waves from Mars 2020, MSL, and orbit will provide needed context for these waves to enable predictions of dust storms. Key Points Both rovers observe 1.5–30 sol waves in multiple variables during northern spring with amplitudes agreeing with a reanalysis Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and Mars 2020 observations alternatively correlate and anti‐correlate, pointing to planetary waves originating in different hemispheres North‐south propagating waves vacillate between first occurring at MSL or Mars 2020, suggesting waves grow from multiple types of instabilities