Martian dust columns that surprise and scare NASA: what are treated

The Rover Perseverance surprised again with his findings and this time he was the protagonist of a scene as impressive as disturbing. During one of its tours on the surface of Mars, the vehicle managed to capture a dust demon, as scientists call these swirls that raise clouds of earth and stone, moving at high speed.

While it is common for these whirlpools to form on Mars, what caught attention was the form and behavior of this particular phenomenon. The recording not only showed a large whirlpool, but also the interaction with a smaller one, in a kind of shock of whirlpools that until now had rarely documented so clearly.

These formations meet an important role in the Martian climate. They not only raise large amounts of dust to the atmosphere, but also allow scientists to better understand the winds of wind, temperature and dynamics of the surface of the red planet.

The cloud of dust that nasa caught

The images show how one of the largest swirls is formed and progresses while absorbing another weakest, which ends up fading in the middle of the cloud. This type of interaction, although swirls are frequent, is not usually easy to observe or register with such precision.

The scientists explained that these columns are created in a similar way to the terrestrial swirls: hot air rises and, when finding colder layers, it begins to rotate already lifted dust from the surface. The funny thing is that, despite the thin Martian atmosphere, these vortices can reach surprising sizes and last several minutes.

In addition, observing these interactions helps to understand the behavior of the Martian atmosphere, which is fundamental for future manned missions and to study how the landscape evolves over time.

The shocking shock of Martian swirls

As they explained from NASA, the video was captured about 800 meters away by Perseverance cameras, and shows not only the clash, but also other swirls turning in the background. This allowed an analysis in detail about the strength and trajectory of each.

Although on Earth we are used to seeing similar phenomena in desert areas, on Mars the conditions are much more extreme. The little air density and the large temperature difference between the soil and the atmosphere are key for these vortices to appear and remain active.

This discovery not only surprised by its size and sharpness, but also left new questions about the role that these swirls play in the distribution of dust, an element that affects from the planetary storms to the operation of the equipment that explores Mars.

What the Martian White Swirons indicate

Another detail that captured attention is the white color that presented part of the swirl. According to scientists, this is due to the exposure of dark volcanic rock layers and the type of dust that is dragged by the wind, which by changing composition modifies its hue.

These swirls not only move dust, they are also responsible for half of the material that is suspended in the atmosphere, affecting the climate and visibility on the surface. Therefore, its monitoring is key to anticipating other meteorological phenomena in Mars.

Thanks to this type of records, more and more is known about how the Martian climate works and what conditions could become favorable – or dangerous – for future explorations and, eventually, for human presence on the red planet.

Source: Minuteoun