Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28
Dust storms, observed in all seasons, are among the most momentous of Mars’ atmospheric activities. The Entry–Descent–Landing (EDL) activity of a Martian landing mission is influenced by local atmospheric conditions, especially the probability of dust storm activity. Chryse Planitia, featuring many...
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Universe |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/11/433 |
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| author | Bo Li Zongyu Yue Shaojie Qu Peiwen Yao Xiaohui Fu Zongcheng Ling Shengbo Chen |
| author_facet | Bo Li Zongyu Yue Shaojie Qu Peiwen Yao Xiaohui Fu Zongcheng Ling Shengbo Chen |
| author_sort | Bo Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dust storms, observed in all seasons, are among the most momentous of Mars’ atmospheric activities. The Entry–Descent–Landing (EDL) activity of a Martian landing mission is influenced by local atmospheric conditions, especially the probability of dust storm activity. Chryse Planitia, featuring many of the largest and most prominent outflow channels and possible mud volcanoes, is an important target site for current and future Mars landing missions. It is of great significance to understand that a Mars landing probe may encounter a dust storm situation during EDL season in the Chryse Planitia. In this study, based on four Martian years, Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Mars Daily Global Maps (MDGMs), 1172 dust storms were identified within Chryse’s 1600 km-radius ring. Secondly, the daily mean dust storm probability was calculated, binned by 1° of solar longitude in the Chryse landing area. The two active periods of dust storm activity are Ls = 177–239° and Ls = 288–4°, with an average daily mean dust storm probability of 9.5% and 4.1%. Dust storm activity frequency is closely interrelated with the seasonal ebb and flow of the north polar ice cap; consequently, most dust storms occur in either the cap’s growth or recession phase. We divided the Chryse landing area into square grids of 0.5° and computed the average probability of dust storm occurrence in each grid, which ranged from 0.19% to 2.42%, with an average of 1.22%. The dust storm activity probability in space was also inhomogeneous—low in the west and south but high in the east and north—which was mainly affected by the origin and the path of dust storm sequences. Based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of storms in the Chryse area, 40.5% are cap-edge storms in the northern hemisphere. Finally, we concluded that the preferred time of a Mars landing mission is Ls = 18–65° in the Chryse Planitia, and three preferred landing areas were selected with low dust storm probability. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:00:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
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| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj.art-de96f8bf16004bd3a66862578b42e8d02023-11-23T01:50:36ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972021-11-0171143310.3390/universe7110433Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28Bo Li0Zongyu Yue1Shaojie Qu2Peiwen Yao3Xiaohui Fu4Zongcheng Ling5Shengbo Chen6Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaKey Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaBeijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, Beijing 100094, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaCollege of Geoexploration Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun 130015, ChinaDust storms, observed in all seasons, are among the most momentous of Mars’ atmospheric activities. The Entry–Descent–Landing (EDL) activity of a Martian landing mission is influenced by local atmospheric conditions, especially the probability of dust storm activity. Chryse Planitia, featuring many of the largest and most prominent outflow channels and possible mud volcanoes, is an important target site for current and future Mars landing missions. It is of great significance to understand that a Mars landing probe may encounter a dust storm situation during EDL season in the Chryse Planitia. In this study, based on four Martian years, Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Mars Daily Global Maps (MDGMs), 1172 dust storms were identified within Chryse’s 1600 km-radius ring. Secondly, the daily mean dust storm probability was calculated, binned by 1° of solar longitude in the Chryse landing area. The two active periods of dust storm activity are Ls = 177–239° and Ls = 288–4°, with an average daily mean dust storm probability of 9.5% and 4.1%. Dust storm activity frequency is closely interrelated with the seasonal ebb and flow of the north polar ice cap; consequently, most dust storms occur in either the cap’s growth or recession phase. We divided the Chryse landing area into square grids of 0.5° and computed the average probability of dust storm occurrence in each grid, which ranged from 0.19% to 2.42%, with an average of 1.22%. The dust storm activity probability in space was also inhomogeneous—low in the west and south but high in the east and north—which was mainly affected by the origin and the path of dust storm sequences. Based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of storms in the Chryse area, 40.5% are cap-edge storms in the northern hemisphere. Finally, we concluded that the preferred time of a Mars landing mission is Ls = 18–65° in the Chryse Planitia, and three preferred landing areas were selected with low dust storm probability.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/11/433Chryse Planitiadust storm activityEOF analysisspatio-temporal analysisMars landing missions |
| spellingShingle | Bo Li Zongyu Yue Shaojie Qu Peiwen Yao Xiaohui Fu Zongcheng Ling Shengbo Chen Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 Universe Chryse Planitia dust storm activity EOF analysis spatio-temporal analysis Mars landing missions |
| title | Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 |
| title_full | Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 |
| title_fullStr | Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 |
| title_short | Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Chryse Planitia Using MGS-MOC Observations from Mars Years 24–28 |
| title_sort | spatio temporal analysis of dust storm activity in chryse planitia using mgs moc observations from mars years 24 28 |
| topic | Chryse Planitia dust storm activity EOF analysis spatio-temporal analysis Mars landing missions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/11/433 |
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