If you go outside today, you will likely encounter some form of local weather. Between sunshine, rain, wind, and all the other options, our planet is never without weather. Although, is this phenomenon unique to our pale blue pebble? What would the forecast look like on other planets?
While “Earth is a water world, Mars is a dust world” (Dr. Alejandro Soto), when studying the weather on another planet, there are a number of different questions that need answering. How does the weather on another planet differ from that here on Earth? How are they similar? And lastly, how do we go about answering these types of questions?
There are large differences between Earth and Mars that factor into weather formation. The density of the atmosphere and the amount of water and carbon dioxide play an important role. Earth has a substantially larger amount of water then Mars, and its more common liquid form leaves Earth as rain, snow, and humidity. Mars, on the other hand, keeps its water locked up its icy poles with only trace amounts in the atmosphere. This leaves the red planet dry and dusty.
Due to this lack of precipitation, Mars’ storms consist mostly of dust and wind. These storms range from the more common localized dust storms, similar to the ones seen on Earth, to the less common global dust storms.
In the study of these Martian weather patterns, scientists have run into a number of challenges. Dust storms block the view of the surface and make for a dangerous opponent to machinery, sensors, and solar panels. For rovers powered by the sun, long periods of time with the sky darkened by dust can mean the end of mechanical life.
The study of these storms and how they occur is an ongoing battle. Find out more about Mars’ dust storms in Dr. Alejandro Soto’s First Friday lecture linked below!
Boise State First Friday Astronomy – Dr. Alejandro Soto – July 2022