A Martian Dust Storm Approaches
Explanation:
Batten down the hatches,
here comes another Martian dust storm.
The thin soil on
Mars can be picked up by high
winds to create dust storms that sweep down plains and
can sometimes
envelop most of the planet.
The
Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently orbiting
Mars recently photographed such a
dust storm raging on Mars' northern plains.
The advancing storm front can be seen dividing clear and obscured areas on the
photograph on the left.
Even away from
dust storms, isolated tornado like
swirls called
dust devils can reach 8-kilometers high and also be created by Martian winds.
Studying wind phenomena on Mars provides valuable insight towards understand
similar phenomena here on Earth.
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.
