Comments on: MRO: Mars Storm Chaser

By: OCTPIB

OCTPIB — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:11:39 +0000

Some details about "dust devils": the first is caught in the crater of Arsia Mons, the second – undoubtly near the famous Olympus caldera.

By: Bill Davis

Bill Davis — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:23:53 +0000

Consider the low mass of the martian atmosphere and statements by some of the JPL scientists that erosion and deposition are at extremely low rates because the wind has barely enough energy to lift the dust grains. Then consider the energetic looking storm that appears to be emanating or eating away an a canyon in Noctis. Also the recent discovery of, as the scientists amusingly put it, "magnetic chunks of atmosphere getting ripped away from Mars" . Conclusion – This is likely an electrically powered storm as are the individual vortices of the dust devils, with the characteristic spiral of a birkeland (field-aligned current). Note the picture with the dust devil tracks among the long thin "gullies". Again, two aspect of the same phenomenon. A more powerful dust devil – a dusty discharging plasma current – gouged the surface to make the gullies. Similar phenomenon for slope streaks with the color change coming from an electrochemical reaction.

By: DJ Barney

DJ Barney — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:16:03 +0000

Your location spotting is correct ! It's near Noctis Labyrinthus. No, it's not the right size for a land slip, I was just saying that it reminded me of that image for eye popping value.

By: Jorge

Jorge — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:56:12 +0000

Unless I'm much mistaken (and without following the links, which is not a smart thing to do… but I have an aliby: I'm sleepy) the first one shows the fractured terrain that separates the Tharsis plateau from Vallis Marineris. If so, the sandstorm is pretty large, maybe between 100-200 km across.

Not quite a landslip.

Hm… now I'm getting too curious to go away without checking the sources. Sigh… OK, here I go.

Back… got the size right, and they don't say where it is, so I'm sticking with what's written above.

By: Astrofiend

Astrofiend — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:01:51 +0000

The first one in particular is a stunner. Reminds me of an aerial shot of a bushfire or something.

By: Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:42:28 +0000

Check the sources links to find more info on the images.
Nancy

By: yeknom-ecaps

yeknom-ecaps — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:33:44 +0000

When where these photo taken? Is there any detail on them? I don't see them on the HiRise or MARI sites.

By: Procyon

Procyon — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:59:10 +0000

Spectacular!

By: Fst

Fst — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:14:10 +0000

Where can I find above images in higher resolution?

By: DJ Barney

DJ Barney — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:39:33 +0000

What are the image numbers for these shots ? Especially the first one. It reminds me of the image of the land slip