Thermals on Mars

[mingram]

https://phys.org/news/2020-02-insight-g ... ilish.html

Mars experiences strong daily pressure and temperature fluctuations, "stronger than on Earth," Banfield said. "The atmosphere is so thin that it can heat up and cool down much faster than on Earth."

Banfield and the meteorology team were surprised that their sensors detected gravity waves, which are buoyancy oscillations of air parcels. Such waves on Earth can create linear rows of rolled "morning glory" clouds—white, puffy clouds that look like lofty jelly rolls. "We're still working to understand what these waves can teach us about Mars," Banfield said.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_G ... mPlane.jpg

During the Martian daytime, the APSS team has found convective vortices, better known as "dust devils"—small whirlwinds forming into tiny tornadoes, caused by wind shear and convection near the surface. Earth has dust devils, too, formed from dust and sometimes even snow. Banfield said these may be the cause of the Mars' constant dustiness.

"We have seen the pressure signature of thousands of dust devils, and we have tried to take images at the right times of day," Banfield said. "We've caught absolutely no dust devils on camera. Other landers have more effortlessly imaged dust devils, so it's surprising that we haven't even captured an image of one."

[mcgowantk]

Hey Matt

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting. Maybe I should consider that trip to Mars after all!

Tom