In an effort to continuously improve the capabilities of the Martian atmospheric predictions at LMD, the GCM has been extended into thermospheric heights thus creating the first model to self-consistently couple the lower and upper
regions of the Martian atmosphere. The behaviour of
the Martian thermosphere is strongly influenced by
lower atmospheric processes and has complex dynamics.
Such a fully coupled model will certainly aid in the preparation of future missions and on the analysis of future high altitude data, as well as serve as a base for the simulation of ionospheric processes, escape, etc
