Martian Dust Devil Trails
Explanation:
Who's been marking up Mars?
This portion of a recent
high-resolution picture from the orbiting
Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft shows twisting
dark trails criss-crossing a relatively
flat rippled region about 3 kilometers wide on the
martian surface.
Newly formed trails like these presented researchers with
a tantalizing martian mystery but have now been identified as
likely the work of miniature
wind vortices known to occur on
the red planet -
martian dust devils.
Another example
of wind
processes on an active Mars,
dust devils had been detected passing near the Viking and
Mars Pathfinder landers.
Such
spinning columns of rising air heated by the warm surface
are common in dry and desert areas on
planet Earth.
Typically lasting only a few minutes, they becoming visible
as they pick up loose dust.
On Mars,
dust devils can be up to 8 kilometers
high and leave
dark trails as they disturb the bright, reflective surface dust.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
