Dust devils up to 12 miles high, which zigzag across the surface of Mars, could generate seismic signals that could tell us about processes happening on, above or below the Red Planet's surface, scientists suggest.
Dust devils that wander across dry, dusty regions on Earth are even more common on Mars, they say, and could be a source of information to add to other types of scientific data being gathered about the planet.
Experiments on a dry lakebed in California proved the tiny seismic signals from the pressures generated in a dust devil's journey over the surface can be recorded.
Now, researchers are working to equip NASA's upcoming InSight mission to Mars with the instruments needed to record such signals, and separate them from other processes such as earthquakes — or, more properly, "marsquakes."
The California experiments allowed researchers to determine the exact seismic signature of a dust devil, which will allow the seismometer destined for the InSight probe to isolate the seismic noise of a passing dust devil from ones caused by other factors below the surface of Mars.
As dramatic and impressive as dust devils can sometimes be on Earth, they can't hold a candle to their counterparts on Mars, scientists say.
Dust devils on Mars can easily reach miles into the atmosphere, playing a key role of carrying fine dust particles from the surface into that atmosphere.
Such a "dust cycle" may be a significant factor globally in the planet's climate, researchers believe. It can also impact the operations of various rover vehicles sent to Mars, since they depend on sunlight for energy.
"While on Earth dust devils are generally just an occasional nuisance and meteorological curiosity," said Ralph Lorenz of Johns Hopkins University, "on Mars, they are major agents of dust-raising, which is a major factor in the climate, and in the operation of solar-powered vehicles on Mars."
Efforts to understand the internal structure of Mars during marsquakes will be easier if instruments can filter out the seismic "noise" created by dust devils, researchers suggest.
At the same time, valuable data about Mars' dusty atmosphere and its climate could be a bonus provided by the dust devils' signatures.
The climate of Mars, unlike that on Earth, is generally relatively uniform, Lorenz points out.
"One day is very much like the next and generally one year is like the next, with the exception of the large dust storms," he said.
Dust devils, he suggests, could be an important window into the Martian climate.
"Seismic measurements may be a new window into dust devil studies," Lorenz concluded.
