Surface energy budget at Curiosity through observations and column modeling

Diurnal ground surface temperatures (T-g) and the five major terms of the surface energy budget (SEB) are dis-played from hourly Mars Science Laboratory observations and from column model simulations in four contrasting cases along the Curiosity traverse. T(g )and the SEB terms are otherwise well simulated on regolith near the landing spot and on rocky Pahrump Hills, but the residual in observation-based SEB (-downwelling longwave radiation) shows unexplained peaks in the morning and evening and simultaneously model-T(g )is too cold. Enhanced or diurnally variable crater dust does not help but diurnally variable soil thermal inertia (suggested by Fourier analysis of observed T-g) reduces both defects at both sites. Sand on the steep Namib dune is instead homogeneous, defects here being reduced by taking into account slope effects. Regolith at the 2018 dust storm site appears inhomogeneous, with the SEB terms and T(g )relatively well simulated even in this case of extremely heavy dust load.