Modelling the martian atmosphere

Mars general circulation models, used to study the atmosphere of Mars, have developed almost in parallel with terrestrial weather and climate models. These models are now being confronted with a large amount of new spacecraft data, which is allowing the models to be validated more rigorously. This paper briefly reviews the current state of Mars models, highlighting areas of current development and particular challenges. The way in which models can be used to help to interpret observations, via data assimilation, and the way in which model results can be of help in planning for future missions are both discussed.