Investigating the Influence of Polar Jet Streaks on the Morphologies of Local-Scale Dust Storms Near Mars's North Polar Ice Cap.

Mars is notable for its frequent and intense dust storms. Dust storms on Mars are seasonal, with most storms occurring during northern fall and winter, from L_s~135^o to L_s~360^o. During this season, increased heating associated with perihelion causes westerly jets to form around the north polar ice cap with wind speeds frequently greater than 130 m/s. Recent studies have suggested a possible correlation between the curvature and orientation of storms in this region and their positioning in relation to jet streaks. To evaluate the validity of these claims, we have developed a computer program which determines the approximate average curvature of dust storms and their orientations based on satellite imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Mars Color Imager (MARCI). Our study focuses on “local-scale” storms (<1.6 x 10⁶ km²) centered above ~45^oN from Mars Year (MY) 28 L_s~160^o to MY 28 L_s~195^o and MY 28 L_s~340^o to MY 28 L_s~360^o. We classified storms into one of four categories based on their appearance: “puffy”, “pebbled”, “ruffled”, or “plume-like.” Because each of these storm types has different methods of formation and is associated with different convective environments, we expect to observe significant differences in the importance jet streaks play in their formation.