04 October 2023 , 01:08
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NASA's Perseverance rover has captured a stunning image of a two-kilometre-high dust 'devil' on Mars. This awe-inspiring spectacle, resembling a towering 'devil', was observed as part of the rover's atmospheric exploration of Jezero Crater.
The six-wheeled geologist robot documented the lower portion of the dust devil as it gracefully moved across the Martian landscape, stretching from east to west at a speed of about 19 kilometres per hour (12 mph) along "Thorofare Ridge" on August 30.
Unlike Earth's tornadoes, these Martian dust devils are much weaker but significantly larger, making them vital subjects of study for scientists aiming to comprehend the intricacies of the Martian atmosphere.
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NASA's Perseverance rover has captured a stunning image of a two-kilometre-high dust devil (NASA/JPL-Caltech//SWNS)Dust devils on Mars, akin to their terrestrial counterparts, form when warm air rises and mixes with descending cooler air, generating rotating columns of dust. Despite their weaker nature compared to Earth's tornadoes, these Martian whirlwinds can grow to extraordinary heights, as demonstrated by the two-kilometer-high dust devil spotted by Perseverance.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explained that dust devils are essential mechanisms for moving and redistributing dust across Mars. By studying these phenomena, scientists can gain valuable insights into the Martian climate and atmospheric processes, ultimately refining their weather models for the Red Planet.
Using data from the imagery, mission researchers determined that this particular dust devil was about four kilometres (2.5 miles) away. They calculated its width to be about 60 metres (200 ft). And while only the bottom 118 metres (387 feet) of the swirling vortex are visible in the camera frame, the scientists could also estimate its full height.
Dust devils are essential mechanisms for moving and redistributing dust across Mars (NASA/JPL-Caltech//SWNS)Mark Lemmon, a planetary scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and a member of the Perseverance science team remarked, “We don’t see the top of the dust devil, but the shadow it throws gives us a good indication of its height. Most are vertical columns. If this dust devil were configured that way, its shadow would indicate it is about 1.2 miles (2 kilometres) in height.”
NASA JPL-Caltech explains: "Much weaker and generally smaller than Earth’s tornadoes, dust devils are one of the mechanisms that move and redistribute dust around Mars. Scientists study them to better understand the Martian atmosphere and improve their weather models.
"The Martian versions can grow to be much larger than those found on Earth. And while they are most prominent during the spring and summer months (Mars’ northern hemisphere, where Perseverance is located, is currently in summer), scientists can’t predict when they’ll appear at a specific location. So Perseverance and its fellow NASA Mars rover Curiosity routinely monitor in all directions for them, taking images in black-and-white to reduce the amount of data sent to Earth."