Scientists model mysterious 1,000-mile cloud formation on Mars
Researchers at Paris' Sorbonne Université have modeled the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud that appears near a volcano on Mars during spring and summer.
Cloud cycle repeats for months
A thin cloud emerges each morning near Arsia Mons and grows until it stretches over 1,000 miles. The formation disappears after several months before the cycle begins again in the Martian spring. This pattern has been recorded by a probe since 2018 without a prior explanation.
Exotic physics drives formation
The new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests the cloud forms through homogeneous nucleation. Scientists found that standard models failed until they included theoretical physics usually thought not to happen in nature. Jorge Hernández-Bernal stated that this process has never been directly observed in any planet's atmosphere before.
Simulations match observations
Once the team added these specific physical processes to their computer simulations, the cloud appeared exactly as hoped. The results indicate a mechanism distinct from how water vapor creates droplets on Earth. This discovery explains the long-standing mystery of the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud.
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