Cloud atlas of Mars showcases array of atmospheric phenomena
(This image displays two atmospheric phenomena: the white curved lines are gravity wave clouds, while the brown areas are dust lifted from the ground by wind. The color shift visible in the dust lifting event might be indicative of very fast winds, a phenomenon currently under investigation by other members of the team. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin.)
"Cloud enthusiasts have a new tool to investigate striking formations in the skies above the red planet. A browsable database of 20-years-worth of images of clouds and storms, created by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Berlin, is helping scientists better understand how and where features arise in the Martian atmosphere and what they can tell us about the climate of Mars and other planets.
The Mars 'Cloud Atlas', which is available to the public, has been presented this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2024 in Berlin by Daniela Tirsch of DLR.
(An example of cloud streets over Vastitas Borealis, a large area near the North Pole mostly devoid of craters. . Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/A. Cowart)
The images in the Cloud Atlas have been captured by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) instrument, which has been in orbit on board the European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft since 2005. Although Mars has a very thin atmosphere, numerous cloud formations and dust storm phenomena can develop from water and carbon dioxide ice crystals as well as dust particles.
"Clouds on Mars are just as diverse and fascinating as those we see in our skies on Earth, with some features unique to the red planet. One of my favorite phenomena are the beautiful 'cloud streets'—linear rows of fleecy clouds that develop around the huge volcanic Tharsis rise and the northern lowlands in northern spring and summer. While they resemble cumulus clouds on Earth, they are formed under different atmospheric conditions," said Dr. Tirsch. "We also see impressive dust clouds that can spread hundreds of kilometers—a phenomenon we luckily don't experience on Earth."
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