Ruth Marlaire

“ In other words, scientists think that when surface areas darken and expand, relatively more energy from the sun is being absorbed by the surface, which causes temperatures to rise near the surface. This, in turn, produces a less stable atmosphere generating more turbulent eddies and whirling dust devils. The more dust that is redistributed to bright surfaces, the more surfaces darken and expand, which causes more sunlight to be absorbed, increased temperatures, and less stable the atmosphere, say scientists. ”

“ Moreover, scientists suspect that a change in global surface albedo could influence the formation of dust storms on both local and global scales. They report that the surface brightening and atmospheric cooling following the 2001 global dust storm may affect the timing of future large dust storms. Research demonstrates that surface areas may brighten depending on the way dust settles, which would suppress winds and ‘dust devil’ formation, the two mechanisms potentially responsible for dust storm initiation. ”

“ For the past 30 years, NASA scientists have been using high-tech satellite equipment to study features on the face of Mars. It appears a slight change in the planet’s surface luster has caused its temperature to rise. ”