Weather forecast on Mars

Mars weather forecast - Snow falls in the north of the Red Planet on a very regular basis, making it easy to plan expedition missions to that area. In their latest publications, researchers at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, Several weeks ago, snowstorms could be predicted in the northern half of Mars during the very cold winter. The researchers' accounts for the first time show a relationship between these snowfalls and a particular meteorological phenomenon in Mars, which is characterized by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind velocity and direction, a phenomenon that spreads in the northern half of the planet. This weather will allow exploration missions to the Red Planet to choose ways to avoid severe snowstorms.

The polar regions on Mars represent harshly cold worlds. Similar to their counterparts on the ground, they are covered by glacial glaciers. When the temperature falls below -128 ° C, the primary source of such cover is carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These ice sheets then spread over an area extending south to about 70 degrees north latitude. Carbon dioxide only rises in the warmer summer, revealing the everlasting Mars snow, a much smaller snowy cover made up of frozen water.

"There are two sources of seasonal ice on Mars," says Dr. Paul Hartogh. "A portion of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere condenses directly on the surface - in a way that resembles a frostbite on the ground in a cold and clear atmosphere - Another while in the atmosphere. "Snow crystals accumulate in the form of clouds and then fall in the form of snow. In this study, scientists have for the first time linked these glaciers to a "wave" atmospheric phenomenon that is a periodic change in atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction.

"This is a unique meteorological phenomenon on the surface of Mars," says Dr. Alexander Medvedev. Indeed, the phenomenon of planetary oscillations in meteorology can also be observed on Earth. However, these fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and heat in the southern hemisphere are not only much weaker, they occur less regularly and their wave properties are also much less visible. "In the northern half of Mars, between autumn and spring, these fluctuations can be predicted with amazing precision," says Medvedev. These fluctuations tend eastward over a regular period of five to six days. There can also be higher frequency waves, close to the planet's surface.

Because of these planetary waves, temperatures in the Martian atmosphere fluctuate significantly below -128 degrees Celsius, the temperature at which carbon dioxide freezes. Scientists' calculations now show that where the temperature drops significantly, small ice crystals form and accumulate in the form of ice clouds. "These clouds can be observed north of latitude 70 degrees north, in all strata of the atmosphere up to a height of 40 kilometers," Harto said. Glacial crystals forming at a height of less than 20 kilometers on the planet's surface fall in the form of snow.

"In order for such snowfalls to arise, periodic temperature fluctuations must be the same in all layers of the atmosphere," Medvedev said. This gets in the heights of less than 20 kilometers. In all other cases, the icy crystals collide with warmer air layers during their fall, resulting in their ascension. This occurs particularly in an area of ??the northern half of the planet, located between latitudes 30 degrees west and 60 degrees east, where these conditions are perfectly ready. The images obtained by telescopes and space probes show that the snow cover in that area reaches exceptional distances to the south. The researchers' calculations show that half of the seasonal ice falls in the form of snow.

Dr. Takeshi Kuroda of Tohoku University with his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute, performed their simulations using a climate model in accordance with the conditions on Mars. "Our calculations took into account the amount of dust in the Martian atmosphere," says Kuroda, who worked at the Planck Institute until 2009 where he earned his doctorate. In addition, carbon dioxide accounts for more than 95% of the planet's atmosphere. The temperatures we have reached are well in line with the data measured by NASA's Mars reconnaissance mission.

These new results will enable us to predict the authoritative prediction of snowstorms on Mars. "Everyone knows that weather forecasts are possible for a maximum of five or seven days, and it's impossible to tell if the snow will fall 20 or 40 days later," Medvedev said. In Mars, the simulations show that snowfalls can be predicted in certain regions of Mars, a relatively long time ago. "This is very valuable information for missions to explore those areas of Mars," Harto said. Where the paths of the probe can be planned in order to avoid severe snowstorms.