Mysterious cloud on Mars.

[Scotius]

Something unusual popped up on Mars photos recently.

ESA confirms that it's indeed a cloud, because there is a shadow noticeable below it. Also, it looks like it originates from vicinity of Arsia Mons volcano. Recent eruption?

Edited October 25, 2018 by Scotius
A typo.

[Shpaget]

32 minutes ago, Scotius said:

Recent eruption?

One would think so, but ESA says it's not related to volcanic activity.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Mars_Express_keeps_an_eye_on_curious_cloud

Interesting nevertheless.

[Scotius]

Well, at least it confirms that there is enough water ice in Mars's  atmosphere to form a cloud 1500 kilometers long

[cubinator]

ESA seems to think it's due to airflow around the volcano peak, but should we rule out a large deposit of subsurface water that got exposed and is boiling/sublimating?

[Gargamel]

3 hours ago, cubinator said:

but should we rule out a large deposit of subsurface water that got exposed and is boiling/sublimating?

Plausible, but seems to be in a weird location, on the side of a mountain.    Very plausible that a large landslide would expose such a deposit, but I'm no geologist, but that seems like an odd spot for such a deposit to have formed. 

[cubinator]

4 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Plausible, but seems to be in a weird location, on the side of a mountain.    Very plausible that a large landslide would expose such a deposit, but I'm no geologist, but that seems like an odd spot for such a deposit to have formed. 

Also would have to be a big landslide and a big deposit to produce such a large cloud.

Although, I guess there is a cloud that big on Mars regardless of how it got there, so that's exciting.

Edited October 26, 2018 by cubinator

[Gargamel]

6 minutes ago, cubinator said:

Although, I guess there is a cloud that big on Mars regardless of how it got there, so that's exciting.

Very exciting!   Regardless of the actual source, it'll be something new and interesting.    Wonder if it's the burning wreckage of an alien ship?  

[cubinator]

8 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Very exciting!   Regardless of the actual source, it'll be something new and interesting.    Wonder if it's the burning wreckage of an alien ship?  

"Those damn Earthling satellites NEVER use their %#&%)% blinkers!"

[Green Baron]

The article @Shpaget linked says it is a lee cloud, a regular seasonal phenomenon. Has been observed 2009, -12 and 15.

Lee clouds on earth can be for example tail of varying length of fractus clouds from turbulence, or lenticularis clouds from waves on the lee side of mountains.

At least future inhabitants will have some weather phenomena to observe ;-)

--------

Different phenomenon of dynamics, but equally of orographic nature, lee vortices "behind" the Canary islands:

https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/60000/60766/Canary.A2002186.1155.1km.jpg

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Green Baron

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

Yes, it's a cloud.

Edited October 26, 2018 by kerbiloid

[ChrisSpace]

13 hours ago, Scotius said:

Something unusual popped up on Mars photos recently.

ESA confirms that it's indeed a cloud, because there is a shadow noticeable below it. Also, it looks like it originates from vicinity of Arsia Mons volcano. Recent eruption?

Cloud or not, that planet looks beautiful in the pic

[Cassel]

or someone dropped nuke?

[p1t1o]

13 hours ago, Scotius said:

Well, at least it confirms that there is enough water ice in Mars's  atmosphere to form a cloud 1500 kilometers long

Do we know that it is a water cloud?

[Green Baron]

ESA puts it as a probable interpretation. Idk if there is spectroscopy of it. One can find reports of the cloud from 2002 and 2005 as well (Nasa).

I am on the side of atmospheric origin. But we cannot totally rule out a volcanologic cause but afaik there is no more crustal heat available or mantle convection going on on Mars that could cause it. Though this is half a speculation/question ...

Edited October 26, 2018 by Green Baron

[GearsNSuch]

Well, you know what to do: Rev up Curiosity and get investigatin'!

Quote

Max Speed: 1.5 inches per second

Oh.

 

Guessing it is, then!

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

Trigger activated.

Edited October 26, 2018 by kerbiloid

[p1t1o]

If you stare at the pic long enough, it turns into a creepy smiley face, half shrouded in shadow....watching your demise.

Yeah you dont think your demise is happening?

Thats what is making it smile

[KG3]

1 hour ago, Green Baron said:

ESA puts it as a probable interpretation. Idk if there is spectroscopy of it. One can find reports of the cloud from 2002 and 2005 as well (Nasa).

I am on the side of atmospheric origin. But we cannot totally rule out a volcanologic cause but afaik there is no more crustal heat available or mantle convection going on on Mars that could cause it. Though this is half a speculation/question ...

Are there any working seismometers on Mars?

[MinimumSky5]

AFAIK, not right now, but InSight has a very good one as its primary instrument, so in a months time, we'll know for sure. 

[Scotius]

I look at those colossal shield volcanoes, and try to imagine the scale of eruptions they were capable of. Entire planet must have been shaking like a glob of jelly!

[cubinator]

5 hours ago, Scotius said:

I look at those colossal shield volcanoes, and try to imagine the scale of eruptions they were capable of. Entire planet must have been shaking like a glob of jelly!

You'd have been able to hear it halfway round the globe except the atmosphere probably wasn't as thick as Earth's even then...

[Scotius]

Several giant volcanoes on a relatively small planet with no large moon to keep the core hot. No wonder Mars "lost the steam" so fast

[Green Baron]

Afaik (but i may be wrong) Marsian volcanism is assumed to have been mostly effusive, though the lesser gravity causes gases to bubble out at greater depth than on earth. Some plinian fireworks shows may have occurred  Marsian Volcanoes grew so huge because the magma chambers may have been larger than those on earth and Mars has no plate tectonics, thus the lava dikes and vents remained stable over longer periods of time and, equally important, there is much less erosion than on earth.

On earth, after 10s of millions of years, there is not much left even even of great mountain ranges, after a few 100 millions of years surface features are completely gone and only the outcrops of the metamorphic basement tells: here was a mountain range. But there is no general rule for the speed of erosion.

Mars surface features like the volcanoes are very old compared to earth. I mean very old. :beardedkerbal:

Edited October 27, 2018 by Green Baron

[kerbiloid]

Tharsis is amusing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharsis_Montes

A natural Martian flag emblem.

Edited October 27, 2018 by kerbiloid

[NSEP]

Well if it was a giant landslide or a volcanic eruption, InSight would have helped alot.

Lets just hope we won't get any giant cylinders crashing into the United Kingdom in 10 months.