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Numerical modeling of Mars dust devils: Albedo track generation
Author(s) -
Michaels T. I.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl026268
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , albedo (alchemy) , geology , astrobiology , track (disk drive) , martian , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , meteorology , physics , art , performance art , computer science , art history , operating system
Dust devil tracks are abundant on Mars, and can significantly change the regional surface albedo, possibly altering regional‐scale atmospheric circulations. However, little is understood about the formation of these features, besides their correlation with dust devils. The Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) is used here to explicitly simulate the formation of a dust devil track. The example dust devil (200 m in diameter) studied in detail here generates a track approximately 1.5 km long, 75 m wide, and 1–8 μm in depth, which compares well with observed real‐world tracks. Valuable insight is gleaned from the study of the formation of this simulated track, which may be used to better interpret the linkage between observed dust devil tracks and the atmospheric and surface conditions that spawned them.