US Edition
Dust Devils Reveal Surprising Raging Winds on Mars
ESA data reveals dust devils on Mars reach wind speeds of 158 km/h, tracking 1,039 whirlwinds to better understand Martian weather and dust transport.
- Published in Science Advances, ESA data reveal dust devils on Mars reach speeds of up to 158 km/h, based on 1,039 tracked events from Mars Express and ExoMars TGO.
- Exploiting 'unwanted noise' in spacecraft images, the team used shifts between red and blue channels from Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to estimate dust devil velocities.
- Most occur in spring and summer, last minutes, and peak between 1100 and 1400 local solar time while lifting dust that transported it across Mars and aided NASA's Opportunity rover.
- Information from the measurements could help planners estimate dust on rover solar panels and landing-site wind conditions, with Valentin Bickel saying, `Information on wind speeds and directions is also really important when planning the arrival of future landers and rovers at Mars.`
- Published in Science Advances, research indicates Mars' atmosphere is windier than thought, with dust devils reaching up to 160 km/h, yet its thin atmosphere prevents human impact.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Scientists stunned by wild Martian dust devils racing at hurricane speeds
Mars may look calm, but new research reveals it’s a world of fierce winds and swirling dust devils racing at hurricane-like speeds. Using deep learning on thousands of satellite images from European orbiters, scientists have discovered that Martian winds can reach up to 160 km/h — much stronger than previously thought. These powerful gusts play a key role in shaping the planet’s weather and climate by lifting vast amounts of dust into the atmosp…
Mini tornadoes on Mars reveal surprising force of red planet's winds
Twenty years' worth of imagery captured by two orbiters circling Mars has revealed raging winds on the red planet.Wind on the barren planet would be invisible if it weren't for Mars' iconic red dust, which was caught in the wind's vortices, creating a phenomenon known as dust devils.These tornado-like whirlwinds also occur on Earth, but the new catalogue of Martian dust devils, published this week in the journal Science Advances, shows that Mart…
So-called dust devils swirl over the surface of Mars at 160 kilometers per hour. Planetary geologist Daniela Tirsch explains why researchers still like to see the mini tornados near Mars robots.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
