Although humans have not actually been there to feel it against their own skin, we do know, thanks to the hardware already on location, that Mars is a place of strong winds. Typically, they blow at 10 to 20 miles per hour (16 to 32 kph), but instruments have also recorded speeds of up to 70 mph (113 kph).
Add to that the fact they are almost constantly blowing, and you can only begin to imagine what winds do to the mostly dusty surface of the planet.
Sadly, despite the rather large number of instruments in place, it’s not often that we get to see wind at work on Mars. The image we have here, apparently blurred, might help with that.
The pic was taken all the way in 2016, but only recently did NASA get around to releasing it. It shows a circular impact crater and an oval volcanic caldera somewhere on Pavonis Mons, the middle member of the volcanic trio called Tharsis Montes.
That region is constantly under wind attack, and this natural phenomenon had a very interesting effect when the HiRISE camera snapped an instance of the place from an altitude of 257 km (160 miles): it blurred it.
That’s right, even if the photo looks like it was taken at a time when HiRISE was having a bad day, it’s not. A closer look at it reveals the fact that the eastern edge of the impact crater, as well as the smaller craters that surround it, are as sharp as they get, and that can only mean the blurriness is not a camera fault, but “is due to the processes acting on the terrain.” We're not told exactly what that means.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that this “deeply wind-scoured terrain type is unique to Mars,“ and the “basaltic lavas on the flanks of this volcano have been exposed to wind for such a long time that there are no parallels on Earth.”
A perfect spot, then, for future missions to Mars to concentrate their efforts on.
Sadly, despite the rather large number of instruments in place, it’s not often that we get to see wind at work on Mars. The image we have here, apparently blurred, might help with that.
The pic was taken all the way in 2016, but only recently did NASA get around to releasing it. It shows a circular impact crater and an oval volcanic caldera somewhere on Pavonis Mons, the middle member of the volcanic trio called Tharsis Montes.
That region is constantly under wind attack, and this natural phenomenon had a very interesting effect when the HiRISE camera snapped an instance of the place from an altitude of 257 km (160 miles): it blurred it.
That’s right, even if the photo looks like it was taken at a time when HiRISE was having a bad day, it’s not. A closer look at it reveals the fact that the eastern edge of the impact crater, as well as the smaller craters that surround it, are as sharp as they get, and that can only mean the blurriness is not a camera fault, but “is due to the processes acting on the terrain.” We're not told exactly what that means.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that this “deeply wind-scoured terrain type is unique to Mars,“ and the “basaltic lavas on the flanks of this volcano have been exposed to wind for such a long time that there are no parallels on Earth.”
A perfect spot, then, for future missions to Mars to concentrate their efforts on.