Mars climate contrast deepens with new atmospheric wave study
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Mar 26, 2025
Atmospheric waves, which resemble ripples that spread across water surfaces, have long intrigued scientists for their role in planetary climate systems. A new international study titled “Atmospheric Gravity Waves in Mars’ Lower Atmosphere: Nadir Observations From OMEGA/Mars Express Data” takes a deep dive into these features on Mars, uncovering major distinctions from Earth.
Leveraging data from the OMEGA instrument aboard the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter, researchers cataloged and analyzed 263 instances of atmospheric wave activity, focusing closely on 125. Their investigation centered on three wave-driving phenomena: carbon dioxide frost, water vapor, and airborne dust.
One of the biggest hurdles the team faced was isolating rare cloud images from a trove of Martian atmospheric photos. The scarcity and uneven distribution of clouds on the Red Planet complicated efforts to differentiate clear and clouded conditions within the vast archive of observations.
The study’s long-term dataset-spanning over 20 years-enabled scientists to unveil new details about how Mars’s climate diverges from Earth’s. “The differences between Mars and Earth are even greater than we thought. There is more asymmetry between the southern and northern hemispheres than previously believed,” said Pedro Machado, a researcher from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and one of the lead authors.
Pedro Machado and fellow researcher Francisco Brasil have broken new ground in Martian atmospheric science, yet they are already expanding their efforts. The duo is developing improved techniques that go beyond wave detection, aiming to map the wind patterns of Mars in greater detail-a move that promises to reveal even more about our planetary neighbor’s elusive climate.
Research Report:Atmospheric Gravity Waves in Mars’ Lower Atmosphere: Nadir Observations From OMEGA/Mars Express Data
Related Links
Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
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