Massive hysteresis in Martian wind-blown sand

Details Massive hysteresis in Martian wind-blown sand Massive hysteresis in Martian wind-blown sand

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p54b..03k&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P54B-03

Other

[0305] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Aerosols And Particles, [3307] Atmospheric Processes / Boundary Layer Processes, [3322] Atmospheric Processes / Land/Atmosphere Interactions, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars

Scientific paper

Much of the surface of Mars is covered by dunes, ripples, and other features formed by the blowing of sand by wind, a process known as saltation. Moreover, saltation occurring in dust storms and dust devils, which are common on Mars, loads the Martian atmosphere with mineral dust, the radiative effects of which shape Martian weather and climate. It is therefore puzzling that both lander measurements and atmospheric circulation models indicate that wind speeds on Mars rarely exceed the threshold required to initiate saltation. For example, seasonally-shifting dune slip faces at Proctor Crater indicate regularly occurring saltation, but atmospheric simulations report that hourly-averaged wind speeds there reach a maximum of only about a third of the saltation threshold. Here, we use both analytical calculations and numerical simulations to show that this apparent paradox is due to a massive hysteresis effect inherent in Martian saltation. That is, we show that Martian saltation can be maintained by wind speeds approximately an order of magnitude less than required to initiate it, and can thus occur during a much wider range of wind speeds than previously thought. This finding helps resolve a longstanding puzzle on Mars, and has important implications for the formation of dust storms, sand dunes, and ripples.

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