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Perseverance Rover Spots a Dust Devil on Mars By Ryan Whitwam on March 17, 2021 at 4:06 pm
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NASA’s Perseverance rover is just starting its Martian adventure. It landed on the red planet last month and just recently took its first short drive on the surface. NASA is still completing system checks, but the robot is already sending back fascinating data. Case in point: Without even looking for one, Perseverance spotted its first dust devil on Mars.
A dust devil looks a bit like a tornado, but the two phenomena have different origins and mechanics. On Earth, tornados are associated with larger atmospheric circulation from thunderstorms. Mars doesn’t have that, but its thin carbon dioxide atmosphere can become warmer at ground level under certain conditions. When such a pocket of air rises through the colder air above it, you get a dust devil.