Many Clouds on Mars are Driven by Dust, not Water

Scientists can analyze the weather on another planet if they have a group of satellites around it. They find patterns that are similar to those found on our home planet. Scientists from the European Space Agency used data from Mars Express to analyze cloud formation on Mars. Dust appeared to be at the center of that formation. The clouds were very similar to the ones found in the tropics.

The data from the Mar Express cameras were used in the paper. The formation of clouds around the North Pole was the focus of all of the cameras.

This is the first time that a lot of data-collecting power has been turned toward the cloud. The data for the paper was collected in the spring of 2019. The spiral patterns shown in the photographs are familiar to storm watchers.

A picture from the HRSC shows a spiral pattern that looked very similar to a hurricanes on Earth. They are thought to be caused by the same patterns that lead to hurricanes here.

There are many similarities between Earth and Mars. Some of Earth's more picturesque cloud formations include a "texturing" pattern that makes them look like sand Clouds on Mars can be seen in some of the images sent back.

The air on Earth is heated by the Sun, which causes it to rise and cause the water in it to condense. The lack of water on Mars causes the Sun to heat the dust-laden air and cause it to fall into gaps between the pockets of hot air. The texture seen in the image is caused by closed-cell convection.

Mars and Earth aren't the only places where this happens. Data collected by Venus Express shows that Venus has closed-cell convection. It seems the fundamental processes that cause these cloud formations don't care about that part of the environment since Venus has a thicker atmosphere than either Earth or Mars.

It is comforting to find similar patterns in other places. One way that long-standing missions such as Mars Express can help contribute to humanity's long-term exploration of space is by using similarities to predict Martian weather.

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One of the tallest mountains on Mars has a single cloud form every spring.