Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover

Abstract Mars' atmosphere typically supports dust aerosol with an effective radius near 1.5 μm, varying from ~1 μm during low dust times near northern summer solstice to ~2 μm during higher dust times in southern spring and summer. After global dust events, size variations outside this range ha...

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Main Authors: M. T. Lemmon, S. D. Guzewich, T. McConnochie, A. deVicente‐Retortillo, G. Martínez, Michael D. Smith, J. F. Bell III, D. Wellington, S. Jacob
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084407
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author M. T. Lemmon
S. D. Guzewich
T. McConnochie
A. deVicente‐Retortillo
G. Martínez
Michael D. Smith
J. F. Bell III
D. Wellington
S. Jacob
author_facet M. T. Lemmon
S. D. Guzewich
T. McConnochie
A. deVicente‐Retortillo
G. Martínez
Michael D. Smith
J. F. Bell III
D. Wellington
S. Jacob
author_sort M. T. Lemmon
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Mars' atmosphere typically supports dust aerosol with an effective radius near 1.5 μm, varying from ~1 μm during low dust times near northern summer solstice to ~2 μm during higher dust times in southern spring and summer. After global dust events, size variations outside this range have not previously been observed. We report on imaging and spectral observations by the Curiosity rover through the 2018 global dust event. These observations show that the dust effective radius was seasonally normal prior to the local onset of increased opacity, increased rapidly above 4 μm with increasing opacity, remained above 3 μm over a period of ~50 Martian solar days, then returned to seasonal values before the opacity did so. This demonstrates lifting and regional‐scale transport of a dust population ~3 times the size of typical dust aerosol.
format Article
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institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2019-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-38d356c83f804a5583b928332e7a577e2025-08-20T02:12:20ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-08-0146169448945610.1029/2019GL084407Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity RoverM. T. Lemmon0S. D. Guzewich1T. McConnochie2A. deVicente‐Retortillo3G. Martínez4Michael D. Smith5J. F. Bell III6D. Wellington7S. Jacob8Space Science Institute College Station TX USANASA Goddard Spaceflight Center Greenbelt MD USADepartment of Astronomy University of Maryland College Park MD USACollege of Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USACollege of Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USANASA Goddard Spaceflight Center Greenbelt MD USASchool of Earth and Space Exploration Arizona State University Tempe AZ USASchool of Earth and Space Exploration Arizona State University Tempe AZ USASchool of Earth and Space Exploration Arizona State University Tempe AZ USAAbstract Mars' atmosphere typically supports dust aerosol with an effective radius near 1.5 μm, varying from ~1 μm during low dust times near northern summer solstice to ~2 μm during higher dust times in southern spring and summer. After global dust events, size variations outside this range have not previously been observed. We report on imaging and spectral observations by the Curiosity rover through the 2018 global dust event. These observations show that the dust effective radius was seasonally normal prior to the local onset of increased opacity, increased rapidly above 4 μm with increasing opacity, remained above 3 μm over a period of ~50 Martian solar days, then returned to seasonal values before the opacity did so. This demonstrates lifting and regional‐scale transport of a dust population ~3 times the size of typical dust aerosol.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084407Marsdustatmosphereaerosol
spellingShingle M. T. Lemmon
S. D. Guzewich
T. McConnochie
A. deVicente‐Retortillo
G. Martínez
Michael D. Smith
J. F. Bell III
D. Wellington
S. Jacob
Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
Geophysical Research Letters
Mars
dust
atmosphere
aerosol
title Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
title_full Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
title_fullStr Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
title_full_unstemmed Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
title_short Large Dust Aerosol Sizes Seen During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Event by the Curiosity Rover
title_sort large dust aerosol sizes seen during the 2018 martian global dust event by the curiosity rover
topic Mars
dust
atmosphere
aerosol
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084407
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