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Mars Express watches a dust storm engulf Mars

11 December 2007

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This animation shows an artist's rendition of a dust storm on Mars.

Credits: ESA (Animation by C. Carreau)

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This image shows the thermal field in the Martian atmosphere measured in Mars Express orbit 71 (top panel), and in orbit 4520 (bottom panel).

It can be seen that the temperature at 45 km altitude was 170 K (-103°C) during orbit 71 and 210 K (-63°C) in orbit 4520. But at 10 km, the temperature increased from 210 K to 250 K (-23°C).

Credits: ESA/ASI/PFS team

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This figure shows the thermal radiation spectra measured during the global dust storm during Mars Express orbit 4479 (represented by the black curve), and during the final phase of a small dust storm (shown by the blue curve), measured during orbit 71. The data is shown as thermal brightness, in degrees Kelvin.

During the global dust storm, the upper atmosphere is warmer than usual (spectral region A), while the temperature close to the soil is colder than usual ( spectral region B).

Credits: ESA/ASI/PFS team

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An artist's impression of Mars Express. The spacecraft left Earth for Mars on 2 June 2003. It reached its destination after a six-month journey, and has been investigating the planet since early 2004.

Credits: ESA - D. Ducros

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