The Martian Spring
Explanation:
As spring comes to the northern
latitudes of Mars,
increased solar heating brings warmth and a change in the weather.
The winds produced by the large temperature differences
between the receding polar ice and
the warming regions to the south may cause dust
storms - like the one visible in
the above Hubble Space Telescope images
made in September this year.
On the left, north is up and the Martian polar cap is seen at the top with
dark regions along its southern border. The dust storm, about 600
miles wide, is visible against the white polar ice as
a salmon colored notch.
The image on the right presents the data showing the dust storm
on a map grid centered on the north pole.
Mars is famous for planet wide dust storms
but studies of more localized
weather patterns are difficult without high resolution images like those
provided by the Hubble.
As NASA prepares future missions to Mars, detailed
studies of
Martian weather patterns become increasingly important.
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.
