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Mission to Mars

Benchmarks: Mars Conditions


3) Weather, winds, storms

Storms and carbon dioxide clouds do form on Mars. Evidence of winds on Mars can be seen in this image of dunes formed on the Martian surface. The wind that formed these dunes was blowing from the bottom left to the top right of the image. The image (right) was taken by a camera on the Mars Global Surveyor, and is about 3 km wide. In addition, water ice fog is often created in the bottoms of Martian canyons in early morning, and frost can form in many places on the surface.

Unlike Earth, it does not rain on Mars. It is possible for clouds to form in the thin atmosphere, but temperatures are too low to allow liquid water to form. However, water ice fog is often created in the bottoms of Martian canyons in early morning, and frost can form in many places on the surface.

Martian sand dunes.  NASA/JPL.



Continue to Mars Conditions: Temperatures, Seasons, Climate
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