'Rocket dust storm' on Mars helps explain planet's climate
Scientists spotted a wild "rocket dust storm" on Mars in 2022-23 that blasted water vapor way higher than usual—up to 80km above the surface.
This let hydrogen escape into space, helping explain how Mars dried out over time and giving new insights into its climate.
Storm heated air, stopped ice clouds
Three different missions—ExoMars, Emirates Mars Mission, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter—all captured this rare event.
The storm's intense dust heated up the air and stopped ice clouds from forming, spreading water fast across the planet.
During this time, hydrogen loss shot up to 2.5 times more than normal.
Findings fill gaps in old climate models
Turns out, local storms like these might be key to why Mars keeps losing water all year—not just during big global storms.
The findings fill gaps in old climate models and suggest that when Mars tilted more in the past, these storms happened even more often—speeding up its shift from a watery world to a dry desert.