Convective vortices on Mars: a reanalysis of Viking Lander 2 meteorological data, sols 1–60

Ringrose, T. J.; Towner, M. C.; Zarnecki, J. C.

doi:10.1016/s0019-1035(03)00073-3

Cited by 79 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…From the surface, the first comprehensive optical survey is that from Mars Pathfinder, by Ferri et al (2003) -it may be recalled that while the Viking landers recorded the signatures of dust devils in in situ meteorological data (Ryan and Lucich, 1983;Ringrose et al, 2003), the Viking imagers were single-pixel raster-scan devices that were not well-suited to detecting moving objects, as famously demonstrated with tortoises by Carl Sagan. However, the Ferri et al (2003) survey documents only about 20 devils, too small a sample for useful statistical analysis.…”

Section: Dust Devil Datasets and Model Fitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the statistical distribution of dust devil diameters

Lorenz

2011

Icarus

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a b s t r a c tDust devil diameters, like many features in nature, have skewed distributions. I summarize, and present in a unified manner, literature values of dust devil optical diameters from seven terrestrial surveys, three rover-based surveys on Mars and two orbital surveys on Mars. The problems of appropriately treating these data are analogous to those for impact craters, and similar display and binning approaches are suggested. Remarkably, the Mars dust devil population remains better-known than Earth's. The theoretical justifications for possible log-normal, and (truncated) exponential and power-law descriptions of dust devil properties are discussed, and the challenges of discriminating between these candidate distributions with finite (and often, coarsely-binned) observation sets are noted: the best-sampled datasets so far appear well-described by power laws. Data required for advances in model discrimination are discussed: data binned in four or fewer ranges are useless for this purpose. Caution must be exercised in applying the notion of an 'average' dust devil and in calculating population-integral properties such as dust flux.

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Section: Dust Devil Datasets and Model Fitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the statistical distribution of dust devil diameters

Lorenz

2011

Icarus

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“…If these regions and variations can be identified, then it is possible to predict a Martian ''Carnegie curve'' using data on the diurnal variation of dust devils, and the distribution of large dust storms. Ringrose et al (2003) have analysed the Viking 2 lander meteorological data from 1976, and identified convective vortices passing near the lander. From this they present a diurnal variation in dust devil activity peaking at about 1300 local time, Figure 5a.…”

Section: Variability In Martian Atmospheric Electricitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric Electrification in the Solar System

Aplin

2006

Surv Geophys

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Atmospheric electrification is not a purely terrestrial phenomenon: all Solar System planetary atmospheres become slightly electrified by cosmic ray ionisation. There is evidence for lightning on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and it is possible on Mars, Venus and Titan. Controversy surrounds the role of atmospheric electricity in physical climate processes on Earth; here, a comparative approach is employed to review the role of electrification in the atmospheres of other planets and their moons. This paper reviews the theory, and, where available, measurements, of planetary atmospheric electricity which is taken to include ion production and ion-aerosol interactions. The conditions necessary for a planetary atmospheric electric circuit similar to Earth's, and the likelihood of meeting these conditions in other planetary atmospheres, are briefly discussed. Atmospheric electrification could be important throughout the solar system, particularly at the outer planets which receive little solar radiation, increasing the relative significance of electrical forces. Nucleation onto atmospheric ions has been predicted to affect the evolution and lifetime of haze layers on Titan, Neptune and Triton. Atmospheric electrical processes on Titan, before the arrival of the Huygens probe, are summarised. For planets closer to Earth, heating from solar radiation dominates atmospheric circulations. However, Mars may have a global circuit analogous to the terrestrial model, but based on electrical discharges from dust storms. There is an increasing need for direct measurements of planetary atmospheric electrification, in particular on Mars, to assess the risk for future unmanned and manned missions. Theoretical understanding could be increased by cross-disciplinary work to modify and update models and parameterisations initially developed for a specific atmosphere, to make them more broadly applicable to other planetary atmospheres.

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“…The existence of such atmospheric vortices was predicted for Mars (Ryan, 1964;Neubauer, 1966;Gierasch and Goody, 1973) before they were first detected in Viking images (Thomas and Gierasch, 1985). Both Viking orbiters imaged dust devils, and data recorded by the two Viking landers suggested the passage of several vortices that were likely dust devils (Ryan and Lucich, 1983;Ringrose et al, 2003). Cantor et al (2006) conducted a survey over almost four Mars years using Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images on board the NASA Mars Global Surveyor (MGS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%