Secrets of the Curious Cloud on Mars are Finally Revealed

A mysteriously long, thin cloud has appeared over the 20-km high Arsia Mons volcano on Mars. However strange this may seem, this is not the first this cloud has made an appearance, for it forms every Martian year. After repeatedly seeing this happen, scientists investigated and made some conclusions.

Every morning for several months, the cloud goes through a growth cycle that starts before sunrise and rapidly expands, extending out from Arsia Mons, and later evaporating as the day gets warmer.

Due to the fast-changing dynamics of Mars' atmosphere, this cloud is extremely difficult to observe as a whole. So, in order to properly see what was going on, scientists have used the Visual Monitoring Camera, or VMC. This camera, despite having a low resolution, has a wide field of view, which is essential for tracking the cloud´s evolution for a long period of time as well as in small time steps.

The research has found that the cloud measures 1800 km in length and 150 km across, making it the largest “orographic” cloud on Mars. This type of clouds are formed by winds that are forced upwards by the features of the terrain, such as mountains or volcanoes. In this case, moist air is driven up the sides of the Arsia Mons and later condensed at higher altitudes, creating this strange cloud.

What is so fascinating about this cloud is that, although there are orographic clouds on Earth, none of them are as big or have such an interesting dynamic. By understanding this cloud, models could be created which would allow scientists to explore and expand their knowledge on the climatic systems of Mars and Earth.

Now that more is known about one of the many wonders of Mars, new scientific discoveries could be made in the near future. Thanks to the VMC, the secrets of the universe are slowly starting to be uncovered.

These Martial Clouds could be the beginning of more wonderful discoveries

Bibliography

The European Space Agency (ESA). (2021, March 9th). Mars Express unlocks the secrets of curious cloud. The European Space Agency. Retrieved from http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Mars_Express_unlocks_the_secrets_of_curious_cloud

Gohd, C. (2021, March 10th). The weird long cloud on Mars is finally revealing some of its secrets. Space.com. Retrieved from https://www.space.com/mars-weird-long-cloud-arsia-mons-secrets

Kooser, A. (2021, March 10th). Scientists uncover secrets of mysterious Mars cloud. Cnet.com. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-uncover-secrets-of-mysterious-snaking-mars-cloud/