ROURKELA : National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela Researchers in collaboration with scientists from UAE University and Sun Yat-sen University in China have examined how spinning dust devils, powerful dust storms and widespread water ice clouds can influence the Martian atmosphere.
By examining information from over 20 years of data collected by multiple Mars missions, including India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM), the team has studied how dust and water ice interact to shape the planet’s climate and temperature.
Understanding these processes will also help in preparing for human exploration missions. Knowing how Martian weather works can help protect spacecraft, support future astronauts, and improve our understanding of whether Mars may once have supported life.
The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious journal, New Astronomy Reviews,(impact factor 26.8) in a paper co-authored by Prof. Jagabandhu Panda, Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with his research scholar Mr. Anirban Mandal from NIT Rourkela, in collaboration with Dr. Bijay Kumar Guha and Dr. Claus Gebhardt from National Space Science and Technology Center, UAE University, and Dr. Zhaopeng Wu from School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, China (currently at Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences).
Mars, also known as the red planet, is home to some of the most dramatic weather systems in the solar system. Dust raised by local and regional storms can travel far and disturb wind patterns resulting in change of temperatures, and in some cases, reshape the Martian atmosphere in dramatic ways.
The study led by NIT Rourkela researchers focused on three major elements of Martian weather –
Ø Dust devils – These are small spinning columns of air which are common during the summer and more frequent in the northern hemisphere. Though smaller than full-scale storms, they keep dust suspended in the atmosphere and can alter the appearance of the surface
Ø Large dust storms – Mars is also known for large dust storms that can grow to cover entire regions or even the whole planet. These storms are driven by a loop in which sunlight heats the dust, which warms the atmosphere, strengthens winds, and lifts even more dust
Ø Water-ice clouds – These are thin, wispy clouds made of frozen water particles. These clouds appear during certain seasons mainly near the equator, over tall volcanoes like Olympus Mons, and around the poles
These water-ice clouds are of two types which form in different seasons. The aphelion cloud belt forms during summers when Mars in farthest from the Sun, and the polar hood
Cloud forms in winter. Their formation depends on seasonal changes in ice and the amount of dust in the atmosphere.
Speaking about the significance and impact of the research, Prof. Jagabandhu Panda, said, “Advancing the weather prediction on Mars is not just a scientific pursuit, it is the cornerstone of ensuring that future missions can sustain there and realize the past and future habitability of the red planet. It would be great if ISRO could conduct more missions to Mars and invest more in the university system to carry out such research. It will help in advancing the science and technology further.”
Using imaging data of over 20 years, the researchers have traced how changing season on Mars evolve the dust and clouds formation and movement. These findings refine the human knowledge and understanding of Mars’ climate system and may be useful for predicting future weather on the planet.
As more missions head to the Red Planet, long-term studies like this one offer essential clues about its ever-changing skies.
