Coupling the Mars dust and water cycles: The importance of radiative-dynamic feedbacks during northern hemisphere summer

Mars Global Climate Model (MGCM) simulations are carried out with and without cloud radiative forcing to investigate feedbacks between the dust and water cycles that contribute to the middle-atmosphere polar warming during northern hemisphere summer. Compared to the simulation without clouds, the simulation with clouds produces stronger polar warming, which is in better agreement with observations. The enhanced polar warming in the presence of cloud formation is caused by a radiative-dynamic feedback between a strengthened circulation due to cloud radiative effects, vertical dust transport, and further circulation intensification.