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Dust Devils Reveal Surprising Raging Winds on Mars

Published in Science Advances, ESA data reveal dust devils on Mars reach speeds of up to 158 km/h, based on 1,039 tracked events from Mars Express and ExoMars TGO.
Exploiting 'unwanted noise' in spacecraft images, the team used shifts between red and blue channels from Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to estimate dust devil velocities.
Most occur in spring and summer, last minutes, and peak between 1100 and 1400 local solar time while lifting dust that transported it across Mars and aided NASA's Opportunity rover.
Information from the measurements could help planners estimate dust on rover solar panels and landing-site wind conditions, with Valentin Bickel saying, `Information on wind speeds and directions is also really important when planning the arrival of future landers and rovers at Mars.`
Published in Science Advances, research indicates Mars' atmosphere is windier than thought, with dust devils reaching up to 160 km/h, yet its thin atmosphere prevents human impact.

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