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.
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
science.msfc.nasa.gov/headline
www.spaceweather.com
A Look
at Mars by Ray Spangenburg and Kit Moser
The World
Book Encyclopedia. 2003.