The Mystery Behind Mars’ Dust Storms Was Finally Solved

By , in Sci/Tech on . Tagged width: ,

Seasonal dust storms on Mars may develop to cover the whole planet at times. As of June 2018, the planet’s surface was shrouded by dust storms so intense that NASA lost touch with Opportunity, which ultimately led to the rover’s demise. Solar-powered robotic missions and future crewed missions both depend on a thorough understanding of these storms and their underlying causes.

When dust storms begin to form and expand, scientists search for seasonal (i.e. fluctuations in absorbed solar energy and temperature) changes. Scientists at the University of Houston performed a study and found that they might be caused by seasonal imbalances in solar energy received and emitted by Earth. Astronomers may now have a better idea of what life was like on Mars in the past.

This is a basic statistic for describing the climate and weather cycles of a planet. As part of their research, the researchers gathered information about Mars from a variety of missions, including MGS, InSight, and Curiosity. Using this information, they were able to simulate Mars’ climate and determine the amount of energy it produced worldwide as a function of the season, even during times of global dust storm. This suggests that existing numerical models should be re-examined since they presume that Mars’ radiant radiation is evenly distributed throughout the year. In addition, the data show that dust storms are linked to energy imbalances, which might lead to new insights into how dust storms form on Mars.

The team’s findings, when paired with computer simulations of Mars’ climate, may help us better comprehend the planet’s temperature and atmospheric circulations. Additionally, NASA and China want to launch manned expeditions to Mars within the next decade. This research might also help us better comprehend Earth’s climate by predicting how it will behave in the future. A better knowledge of our own environment may be gained through studying distant planets.

Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.