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Dust, sand, and winds within an active Martian storm in Jezero crater
  • +18
  • Mark T Lemmon,
  • Michael D. Smith,
  • Daniel Viúdez-Moreiras,
  • Manuel de la Torre Juarez,
  • Alvaro Vicente-Retortillo,
  • Asier Munguira,
  • Agustín Sánchez-Lavega,
  • Ricardo Hueso,
  • German Martinez,
  • Baptiste Chide,
  • Robert Sullivan,
  • Daniel Toledo,
  • Leslie Tamppari,
  • Tanguy Bertrand,
  • James F Bell,
  • Claire Newman,
  • Mariah Baker,
  • Donald Banfield,
  • Jose Antonio Rodríguez-Manfredi,
  • Justin N. Maki,
  • Víctor Apéstigue
Mark T Lemmon
Space Science Institute

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Michael D. Smith
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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Daniel Viúdez-Moreiras
Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC)
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Manuel de la Torre Juarez
Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology
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Alvaro Vicente-Retortillo
Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC)
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Asier Munguira
UPV/EHU
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Agustín Sánchez-Lavega
Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHU
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Ricardo Hueso
UPV/EHU
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German Martinez
Lunar and Planetary Institute
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Baptiste Chide
Los Alamos National Lab
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Robert Sullivan
Cornell University
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Daniel Toledo
Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA)
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Leslie Tamppari
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Tanguy Bertrand
Paris Observatory
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James F Bell
Arizona State University
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Claire Newman
Aeolis Research
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Mariah Baker
Smithsonian Institution
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Donald Banfield
Cornell
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Jose Antonio Rodríguez-Manfredi
Centro de Astrobiología
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Justin N. Maki
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
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Víctor Apéstigue
National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA)
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Abstract

Rovers and landers on Mars have experienced local, regional, and planetary-scale dust storms. However, in situ documentation of active lifting within storms has remained elusive. Over 5-11 January 2022 (LS 153°-156°), a dust storm passed over the Perseverance rover site. Peak visible optical depth was ~2, and visibility across the crater was briefly reduced. Pressure tides and temperatures responded to the storm. Winds up to 20 m s-1 rotated around the site before the wind sensor was damaged. The rover imaged 21 dust-lifting events—gusts and dust devils—in one 25-minute period, and at least three events mobilized sediment near the rover. Rover tracks and drill cuttings were extensively modified, and debris was moved onto the rover deck. Migration of small ripples was seen, but there was no large-scale change in undisturbed areas. This work presents an overview of observations and initial results from the study of the storm.