The Mars Climate Database (MCD) is a database of atmospheric statistics compiled from state-of-the art General Circulation Model (GCM) simulations of the Martian atmosphere. The models used to compile the statistics have been extensively validated using available observational data and represent the current best knowledge of the state of the Martian atmosphere given the observations and the physical laws which govern the atmospheric circulation and surface conditions on the planet.
This document provides the user of the MCD with a detailed description of the database structure and of the access software. Descriptions of the models and of the validation procedure are available in other documents relating to the project.
The MCD can also be accessed in a variety of data formats using the World Wide Web at http://www.lmd.jussieu.fr/mars.html.