A database of 20 years of images of clouds and storms in the skies above the Red Planet, created by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was presented this week at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) 2024 in Berlin.
This was reported by the Europlanet Society.
The images in this Cloud Atlas were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) instrument, which has been in orbit around Mars on board the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft since 2005.
It is noted that although Mars has a very thin atmosphere, numerous cloud formations and dust storms can form from water and carbon dioxide ice crystals, as well as dust particles.
Scientists note that the clouds on Mars are as diverse and fascinating as those we see in the skies on Earth, with some features unique to the Red Planet.
One of my favourite phenomena is the beautiful “cloud streets” – linear rows of fleecy clouds that form around the huge volcanic rise of Tharsis and the northern lowlands in spring and summer. Although they resemble cumulus clouds on Earth, they form under different atmospheric conditions, said Dr Daniela Thiersch from DLR, who presented the atlas at the congress.
We also see amazing clouds of dust that can extend for hundreds of kilometres – phenomena that we fortunately do not observe on Earth, she added.
Dust plays an important role in the atmosphere and climate of Mars:
- Rare updrafts can leave beige dust clouds hanging in the atmosphere;
- Large fluctuations in temperature and air pressure in certain seasons can lead to stronger than normal winds, which raise large amounts of dust from the Martian surface. Dust clouds spreading from the tops of giant volcanoes take on the appearance of eruption clouds, although they are no longer active;
- Large spiral dust storms and cyclone systems are also observed annually near the north pole of Mars. Studying these phenomena is crucial for scientists to understand the atmosphere and air circulation on Mars.
One of the most common formations, both on Mars and Earth, are pulsating “gravity clouds.”
They can be seen in mid-latitudes during the winter in both hemispheres, and over the Tharsis Volcanic Plateau during the winter in the south. Lee waves, a special type of gravity cloud, can accumulate on the windward side of ridges, mountains and other obstacles, creating repeating ridge formations, the paper notes.
It is noted that some types of clouds are specific to certain locations and seasons. Others, such as “twilight clouds,” can appear early in the morning anywhere and at any time of year.
The HRSC cloud atlas will provide valuable information about the physical nature and appearance of clouds and storms, their timing and location. This knowledge will help to better understand the atmospheric dynamics and climate cycles on Mars, and will also provide input to climate research on other planets, such as Earth and Venus, the article notes.
It is noted that the Mars Express project has been extended by ESA until at least 2026. This will allow scientists to continue to fill this database and further improve their understanding of the atmosphere of Mars.
The Mars Cloud Atlas is publicly available at https://hrscteam.dlr.de/public/data.php.
Source: Europlanet Society
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