Comments on: The seasonal cloud over Arsia Mons on Mars https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/the-seasonal-cloud-over-arsia-mons-on-mars/ Sun, 03 Jan 2021 08:11:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: pzatchok https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/the-seasonal-cloud-over-arsia-mons-on-mars/#comment-1101532 Sun, 03 Jan 2021 08:11:32 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=72107#comment-1101532 I wonder if its simple uplift like we have in mountain rangers on Earth.

Water laden air hits a mountain and its pushed up till it gets cold enough to condense into clouds and eventual rain.
On Earth its normally a mountain range and the rain falls on the same side of the mountains that the wind hits,
But since Olympus Mons is singular wouldn’t the clouds travel around it and re-converge on the other side?
And because of the unique Mars atmosphere and the hight of the mountain the rain would be coming from way to high to ever actually hit the ground and show up as a wet spot.
It goes from super high ice crystal clouds to low level falling clouds and right into sublimated water vapor to thin to see.

]]> By: David Telford https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/the-seasonal-cloud-over-arsia-mons-on-mars/#comment-1101130 Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:04:24 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=72107#comment-1101130 Thank you Bob, an interesting phenomenon around Olympus Mons. I could wonder if there are prevailing and steady winds that hit the Mons and maybe there are large wavelength resonances that cause the dust devils to concentrate, and subsequently expose the darker stuff underneath. I recall years ago crossing eastern Washington in the early summer. Stopped to see some dust devils going, and noticed there were dozens formed in a large grid slowly moving across the open plane. Would be nice to know that science has this figured out. Or maybe not yet?

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/the-seasonal-cloud-over-arsia-mons-on-mars/#comment-1101071 Fri, 01 Jan 2021 16:48:57 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=72107#comment-1101071 In reply to David Telford.

David Telford: Speaking of dust devils returning to the same spot, you might find this BtB article of interest: The dark splotches on Mars: Magnets for dust devils.

]]> By: David Telford https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/the-seasonal-cloud-over-arsia-mons-on-mars/#comment-1101070 Fri, 01 Jan 2021 16:40:31 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=72107#comment-1101070 I am reminded of a presentation by Dr Michael Malin long ago where he remarked on observations from the Mars Global Surveyor where dust devils would appear on mars at the same place and in the same time as they had a martian year before. It hints of a peculiarly stable system of weather activity.

]]>