Right now on Mars, two of our favorite missions are suffering under a layer of dust. Both InSight and Ingenuity are solar-powered, and the one-two punch of oncoming winter and layers of dust making their solar panels less efficient means these missions are likely reaching the end of their lives. This isn’t a first. In 2018, with massive dust storms blocking all views of the red planet’s surface, all contact was lost with the Opportunity rover.

Now, in new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we learn that the Sun’s energy, collected in Mars’s desert landscape, can drive these world enveloping storms. This work is led by Ellen Creecy who notes: One of our most interesting findings is that the energy excess – more energy being absorbed than emitted – could be one of the generating mechanisms of Mars’ dust storms. Understanding how this works on Mars might provide clues about the roles Earth’s energy budget takes in the development of severe storms, including hurricanes, on our own planet.

This is a reminder that hurricane season is approaching, and we are seeing extremely warm ocean waters. While hurricanes don’t yet engulf even entire continents, the same physics that is driving dust storms on Mars is driving more powerful hurricanes developing on Earth.

More Information

University of Houston press release

“Mars’ emitted energy and seasonal energy imbalance,” Ellen Creecy et al., 2022 May 16, PNAS