Mars Proposal

Core B

 

Introduction

 

         We in Mr. McCollum¹s second hour science class at Charleston Middle school wish to inquire as to whether there are any detectable patterns as to where clouds and storms form (terrain, latitude, and/or longitude). The answer to this question will help us understand how and why these clouds and storms form. It will also make it easier to predict where storms and clouds will occur, which will increase the likelihood of observing one. Knowing where these storms and clouds form will also give us a better understanding of how these forces are shaping Mars.

 

Background

 

         Mars has several types of clouds. Pink clouds of dust can cover large areas of the planet. They seem to be formed by higher temperatures. Thin blue clouds appear to be made of ice crystals. White clouds that some scientists believe to be made from water vapor occasionally move across the planet. Thin clouds of condensed CO2 form in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

 

We are currently studying all THEMIS images of clouds and storms as well as dust storms. We hypothesize that water-ice clouds tend to form over the lowlands just to the north of Tharsis, as well as over Valles Marineris, and Hellas Planitia. We think that this is due to the different temperature and pressure air colliding. We think that dust storms form in the warm higher altitudes just south of the equator. The observations of THEMIS images we have conducted seem to back these theories.

 

Experiment Design

 

         We plan to acquire our data through the THEMIS camera onboard the Odyssey spacecraft. We plan to observe and compare all relevant THEMIS images of clouds and storms including dust storms. We plan to look at the type of storm as well as where and over what terrain it has formed. We plan to observe the entire planet for clouds and storms, however we will likely spend more time where they have been known to form. We plan to use the relevant images and a topographical map on which we will plot the storms¹ locations in order to achieve a fairly accurate sense as to where and over what terrain they form.

 

Analysis Plan

 

         We plan to map out all observations on a topographical map of Mars (see sample below). This would show where and over what terrain storms form. This will effectively answer our question as to where storms form.

 

AppleMark

        

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, we wish to know if there are any detectable patterns as to where storms and clouds form. The answer will help us to better understand the weather of Mars as well as making the observation of storms much simpler. It will also allow us to better understand how the weather shapes the topography of Mars.

 

References

 

themis.asu.edu/gallery

www.solarviews.com

science.msfc.nasa.gov/headline

www.spaceweather.com

A Look at Mars by Ray Spangenburg and Kit Moser

The World Book Encyclopedia. 2003.