In 1971, NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft arrived at Mars and found the planet completely covered in dust due to a powerful storm. Dust storms on Mars are common. However, if we want to explore the Red Planet, these storms pose a threat to Mars rovers as dust accumulates on their surface and can disable them.
A team of planetary scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder investigated the causes of these storms. Their results, presented at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, may have implications for future missions to Mars. According to research, warm and sunny weather is a key factor that contributes to dust storms.
The Mars Climate Sounder instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has collected data on the atmosphere and surface of Mars for 15 years. Analysis of these data showed that approximately 68% of major storms were preceded by periods of dramatic temperature increases. It is found that as the surface heats up, the atmosphere above it becomes unstable, which favors the rise of dust. According to Heshani Pieris, a graduate student in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, these processes are similar to the mechanisms of hurricane formation on Earth.
Large storms occur on Mars every year, lasting several weeks and covering significant areas. Once every three Martian years (5.5 Earth years), a storm occurs that covers the entire planet with dust. Such global storms are the most dangerous. For example, in 2018, a powerful storm disabled the Opportunity rover by dusting its solar panels, causing the rover to stop receiving enough solar power. For future missions with astronauts landing on Mars, planned by NASA for the 2030s, dust storms will pose a serious risk. Therefore, studying their causes is a priority for scientists.
“We need to understand how small or regional storms develop into a global storm,” notes Paul Hayne, an assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado.
A team of researchers continues to analyze weather conditions on Mars in an attempt to improve predictions of the occurrence of dust storms.
Previously, we reported 12 interesting facts about Mars.
Provided by colorado.edu
