Open AccessIn situ measurement of dust devil dynamics: Toward a strategy for Mars
Author(s) -
Tratt David M.,
Hecht Michael H.,
Catling David C.,
Samulon Eric C.,
Smith Peter H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2003je002161
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , radius , environmental science , meteorology , core (optical fiber) , atmospheric sciences , astrobiology , physics , computer science , optics , computer security
An intensive 3‐day dust devil investigation was conducted near Eloy, Arizona, during June of 2001. The goal was to evaluate strategies for observing dust devils on Mars by studying the physics of terrestrial dust devils. As part of this campaign, an instrumented vehicle outfitted with wind, temperature, and pressure sensors was used to intercept and penetrate numerous dust devils. Defined analysis of meteorological fields was only possible with knowledge of the whole body motion of a dust devil. One such data set analyzed revealed a dust devil structure characterized by a tangential wind proportional to radius, r , inside the warm, low‐pressure core of a dust devil, and proportional to r −1/2 outside the core. We discuss the implications for optimum measurement strategies.