MAVEN Infographic: Martian Dust Storms Accelerate Water Loss
- Graphics:
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez
- Scientific consulting by:
- Shane Stone
- View full credits
This illustration shows how water is lost on Mars normally vs. during regional or global dust storms. Text-readable PDF version.
Credits: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez/Krystofer Kim
The warm summer temperatures and strong winds associated with dust storms help water vapor reach the uppermost parts of the atmosphere, where it can easily be broken into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen, which then escape to space. Previously, scientists thought that water vapor was trapped close to the Martian surface like it is on Earth.
The researchers measured 20 times more water than usual over two days in June 2018, when a severe global dust storm enveloped Mars. They estimated Mars lost as much water in 45 days during this storm as it typically does throughout an entire Martian year, which lasts two Earth years. Learn more about this discovery.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterConceptual Image Lab
Graphic designers
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle)
Writer
- Lonnie Shekhtman (ADNET)
Scientists
- Shane Stone (The University of Arizona/LPL) [Lead]
- Bruce Jakosky (LASP)
- Mehdi Benna (UMBC)
- Paul Mahaffy (NASA/GSFC)
- Roger Yelle (The University of Arizona/LPL)
Producer
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
- Walt Feimer (KBRwyle)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related pages
Terraforming the Martian Atmosphere
July 30th, 2018
Read moreText and Textless Digital Versions of Infographic Text and Textless Print Versions of Infographic Text and Textless Broadcast Versions of Infographic One of the challenges of terraforming Mars is to increase its atmospheric pressure, which is currently less than 1% that of Earth. The Martian polar caps, minerals, and soil could all provide sources of carbon dioxide and water to thicken the atmosphere. Unfortunately, a new study by the MAVEN science team finds that processing all sources available on Mars would only increase the pressure to about 7% that of Earth, far short of what is needed.Learn more about this finding. Related pages
MAVEN Reveals Mars Argon Loss to Space
March 30th, 2017
Read moreInfographic explaining the MAVEN argon results. Enlarge or click "download" for print-resolution versions. Also available in text-readable PDF for the visually impaired. Animations of the MAVEN spacecraft, sputtering, and the evolution of the Martian climate. This video file is in the standard NASA-TV broadcast format. Animations begin at 1:36. Solar wind and radiation are responsible for stripping the Martian atmosphere, according to results from NASA's MAVEN mission. By measuring light and heavy isotopes of argon in the Martian atmosphere, scientists have determined that the majority of the planet's air and water were removed to space by sputtering. In this process, ions from the Mars atmosphere get picked up by the solar wind and slammed into other atoms at the top of the atmosphere, knocking them into space. Scientists used measurements of light and heavy argon from MAVEN and NASA's Curiosity rover to determine that sputtering has removed 65% of Mars' argon to space, along with the majority of other gases like carbon dioxide. Over billions of years, this transformed Mars from a hospitable environment into the cold, dry planet that we see today.Learn more about the MAVEN argon loss finding. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html) Related pages