Dust devil speeds, directions of motion and general characteristics observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

Christina Stanzel; Martin Pätzold; David Williams; Patrick L. Whelley; Ronald Greeley; Gerhard Neukum; HRSC Co-Investigator Team the HRSC Co-Investigator Team

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.04.017

Dust devil speeds, directions of motion and general characteristics observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

Christina Stanzel, Martin Pätzold, David Williams, Patrick L. Whelley, Ronald Greeley, Gerhard Neukum, HRSC Co-Investigator Team the HRSC Co-Investigator Team

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

A total of 205 dust devils were detected in 23 High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) images taken between January 2004 and July 2006 with the ESA Mars Express orbiter, in which average dust devil heights were ∼660 m and average diameters were ∼230 m. For the first time, dust devil velocities were directly measured from orbit, and range from 1 to 59 m/s. The observed dust devil directions of motion are consistent with data derived from a General Circulation Model (GCM). In some respects HRSC dust devil properties agree favorably with data from the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dust devil analyses. The spatial distribution of the active dust devils detected by HRSC supports the conjecture that the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation is responsible for the increase in dust devil activity, especially observed during southern summer between 50° and 60° S latitude. Combining the dust-lifting rate of 19 kg/km²/sol derived from the Spirit observations with the fewer in number but larger in size dust devils from various other locations observed by HRSC, we suggest that dust devils make a significant contribution to the dust entrainment into the atmosphere and to the martian dust cycle.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	39-51
Number of pages	13
Journal	Icarus
Volume	197
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.04.017
State	Published - Sep 2008

Keywords

Atmospheres
Mars
Meteorology
atmosphere
dynamics
surface

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1016/j.icarus.2008.04.017

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title = "Dust devil speeds, directions of motion and general characteristics observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera",

abstract = "A total of 205 dust devils were detected in 23 High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) images taken between January 2004 and July 2006 with the ESA Mars Express orbiter, in which average dust devil heights were ∼660 m and average diameters were ∼230 m. For the first time, dust devil velocities were directly measured from orbit, and range from 1 to 59 m/s. The observed dust devil directions of motion are consistent with data derived from a General Circulation Model (GCM). In some respects HRSC dust devil properties agree favorably with data from the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dust devil analyses. The spatial distribution of the active dust devils detected by HRSC supports the conjecture that the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation is responsible for the increase in dust devil activity, especially observed during southern summer between 50° and 60° S latitude. Combining the dust-lifting rate of 19 kg/km2/sol derived from the Spirit observations with the fewer in number but larger in size dust devils from various other locations observed by HRSC, we suggest that dust devils make a significant contribution to the dust entrainment into the atmosphere and to the martian dust cycle.",

keywords = "Atmospheres, Mars, Meteorology, atmosphere, dynamics, surface",

author = "Christina Stanzel and Martin P{\"a}tzold and David Williams and Whelley, {Patrick L.} and Ronald Greeley and Gerhard Neukum and {the HRSC Co-Investigator Team}, {HRSC Co-Investigator Team}",

year = "2008",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.icarus.2008.04.017",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "197",

pages = "39--51",

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T1 - Dust devil speeds, directions of motion and general characteristics observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

AU - Stanzel, Christina

AU - Pätzold, Martin

AU - Williams, David

AU - Whelley, Patrick L.

AU - Greeley, Ronald

AU - Neukum, Gerhard

AU - the HRSC Co-Investigator Team, HRSC Co-Investigator Team

PY - 2008/9

Y1 - 2008/9

N2 - A total of 205 dust devils were detected in 23 High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) images taken between January 2004 and July 2006 with the ESA Mars Express orbiter, in which average dust devil heights were ∼660 m and average diameters were ∼230 m. For the first time, dust devil velocities were directly measured from orbit, and range from 1 to 59 m/s. The observed dust devil directions of motion are consistent with data derived from a General Circulation Model (GCM). In some respects HRSC dust devil properties agree favorably with data from the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dust devil analyses. The spatial distribution of the active dust devils detected by HRSC supports the conjecture that the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation is responsible for the increase in dust devil activity, especially observed during southern summer between 50° and 60° S latitude. Combining the dust-lifting rate of 19 kg/km2/sol derived from the Spirit observations with the fewer in number but larger in size dust devils from various other locations observed by HRSC, we suggest that dust devils make a significant contribution to the dust entrainment into the atmosphere and to the martian dust cycle.

AB - A total of 205 dust devils were detected in 23 High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) images taken between January 2004 and July 2006 with the ESA Mars Express orbiter, in which average dust devil heights were ∼660 m and average diameters were ∼230 m. For the first time, dust devil velocities were directly measured from orbit, and range from 1 to 59 m/s. The observed dust devil directions of motion are consistent with data derived from a General Circulation Model (GCM). In some respects HRSC dust devil properties agree favorably with data from the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dust devil analyses. The spatial distribution of the active dust devils detected by HRSC supports the conjecture that the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation is responsible for the increase in dust devil activity, especially observed during southern summer between 50° and 60° S latitude. Combining the dust-lifting rate of 19 kg/km2/sol derived from the Spirit observations with the fewer in number but larger in size dust devils from various other locations observed by HRSC, we suggest that dust devils make a significant contribution to the dust entrainment into the atmosphere and to the martian dust cycle.

KW - Atmospheres

KW - Mars

KW - Meteorology

KW - atmosphere

KW - dynamics

KW - surface

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Dust devil speeds, directions of motion and general characteristics observed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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