Low atmospheric pressure on Mars can still sustain massive dust storms
Multiple in situ rover and orbital observations confirm that despite Mars's characteristically low atmospheric pressure, radiative heating and convective dynamics are capable of sustaining massive, planet-encircling dust storms.
The claim is specific, empirical, and contestable, passing Step 0. Retrieved papers such as [0], [8], and [10] provide direct observational evidence from Mars rovers and orbiters demonstrating that massive global and regional dust storms regularly occur and are sustained under Martian atmospheric conditions.
S. Guzewich, M. Lemmon, C. L. Smith, G. Martinez, Á. Vicente-Retortillo, C. Newman, M. Baker, C. Campbell, B. Cooper, J. Gómez-Elvira, A. Harri, D. Hassler, F. Martín-Torres, T. McConnochie, J. Moores, Henrik Kahanpää, A. Khayat, M. Richardson, M. Smith, R. Sullivan, M. Torre Juárez, A. Vasavada, D. Viúdez‐Moreiras, C. Zeitlin, Maria‐Paz Zorzano Mier. Mars Science Laboratory Observations of the 2018/Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080839
Observations from the Curiosity rover during the Mars Year 34 global dust storm document intense planet-encircling dust activity despite the planet's characteristically low atmospheric pressure environment.
See more details
A. Sánchez‐Lavega, E. Larsen, T. del Rio‐Gaztelurrrutia, J. Hernández-Bernal, I. Ordóñez‐Etxebarría, R. Hueso, T. Bertrand, M. Lemmon, M. Juárez, G. M. Martínez, A. Munguira, J. Rodríguez‐Manfredi, A. Harri, J. Pla‐García, D. Toledo, C. Newman. Martian Atmospheric Disturbances From Orbital Images and Surface Pressure at Jezero Crater, Mars, During Martian Year 36. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008565
Data from the Perseverance rover and orbital missions demonstrate the development and evolution of major regional dust storms and atmospheric disturbances under the low-pressure conditions of Mars.
Heavens NG, Kass DM, Shirley JH. Dusty Deep Convection in the Mars Year 34 Planet-Encircling Dust Event.. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006110
Analyses of the Mars Year 34 planet-encircling dust event illustrate how radiative heating of dust drives widespread and deep convective activity despite thin atmospheric conditions.
The paper trail · every fact has a biography
Challenge the receipt
Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work · Dispute this receipt