Table of Contents
How do dust devils occur on Mars?
Dust devils occur when the sun warms up the air near a flat, dry surface. The warm air then rises quickly through the cooler air and begins spinning while moving ahead. This spinning, moving cell may pick up dust and sand and leave behind a clean surface.
What is a dust devil on Mars?
Swirling columns of wind and dust known as dust devils occur frequently, and their tracks crisscross large areas. Martian dust devils are most active in mid-summer. The largest ones can reach heights of 8 kilometers (5 miles) — much taller than dust devils on Earth.
What caused the huge dust storms on Mars?
Sun-warmed dust particles radiate heat into the lower atmosphere, driving winds that kick up more dust, which in turn leads to more heat and more dust. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor, and the dust itself likely drags water along with it as it swirls into the upper atmosphere.
What are dust devils caused by?
Dust devils are most likely to develop when skies are clear and winds are light. In these conditions, ground temperatures can become much warmer than the air just above the surface. That creates an unstable environment which causes the surface air to rise.
What is the big red spot on Mars?
Meteorologically, the Great Red Spot is an anticyclonic circulation system—i.e., a high-pressure centre in the planet’s southern hemisphere.
Do dust devils turn into tornadoes?
Dust devils are related to tornadoes, but do not form the same way. Dust devils form when hot air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler, low-pressure air above it. If conditions are just right, the air will begin to rotate. They can be powerful, but not as powerful as tornadoes.
Does Mars have a dust devil?
Dust devils happen on both Earth and the Red Planet. And scientists have seen aphelion dust devils before: During the 2012 aphelion, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted a relatively colossal dust devil at 2,600 feet (800 meters) in height and 98 feet (30 meters) in diameter.
Where are dust devils most common?
Dust devils typically occur in dry, arid areas with the most common being Arizona, New Mexico, Eastern California. However, they aren’t foreign to Australia with the majority of Inland Australia being mostly arid, its quite common to see them.