Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p23a1227v&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P23A-1227
Physics
[5415] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Erosion And Weathering, [5464] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Remote Sensing, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars
Scientific paper
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) observations indicate distinct variations in dust devil track frequency, morphology, seasonal behavior, and physical influences as the dust devil season progresses in Gusev and Russell craters. The tracks are more numerous, smaller, and highly sinuous in Russell crater, whereas the tracks in Gusev crater occur less often, have low sinuosity, and stretch for many kilometers. The active dust devil season (during Earth years 2006-2008) in Gusev crater occurred earlier at LS = 139° - 12°, than that of Russell crater at LS = 172° - 40°. The peak dust devil frequency occurs at Gusev at LS 235° corresponding to mid spring and later in Russell crater at LS 316°, corresponding to mid summer. Additionally, a distinct correlation between temperature and track features (frequencies, lengths, and widths) was observed when Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) measurements of near surface atmospheric temperatures were analyzed. We find that dust devils reach maximum potential during periods of greatest thermal contrast, while during periods of thermal inversion (i.e. presence of surficial frost) dust devils are absent. There are significant differences between HiRISE orbital observations of dust devil tracks and Spirit ground observations of active dust devil plumes in Gusev crater. We conclude that: 1) the number of dust devil tracks/km2/sol is less than 1/500 the number of plumes estimated by Spirit; 2) the tracks observed from orbit are wider (40-60 m) than average plume diameters (10-20 m) observed by Spirit; 3) HiRISE inferred horizontal speed is larger than that estimated by Spirit; and 4) orbital data indicates that the 2007 active dust devil season extended beyond the start of the 2007 global dust storm, contrary to what Spirit's visible cameras indicated. We suggest that the tracks are created by the largest dust devils and represent a small subset of the dust devils that occur at Gusev.
Geissler Paul Eric
Titus Timothy N.
Verba Circe A.
Waller Devin A.
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