The exploration of dust storm events based on data products with sub-diurnal
coverage, including the early Emirates Mars Mission science phase
Claus Gebhardt1, Bijay K. Guha1, Roland M. B. Young1,2, Michael J. Wolff3. 1United Arab Emirates
University, National Space Science and Technology Center, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, 2United Arab
Emirates University, College of Science, Department of Physics, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, 3Space
Science Institute, Boulder, CO, USA. Contact: claus.gebhardt@uaeu.ac.ae
Mars dust storms are an interdisciplinary
field of research. They have adverse effects for
the
entry-descent-landing
operations
of
spacecraft, the energy production by the solar
panels of Mars rovers and landers, and others. As
can be foreseen, dust storms also have
implications for the future human exploration of
Mars. Dust storm research is directly aligned
with the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) science
objective on the lower atmosphere, and also to
the objective of correlating the lower and upper
atmosphere [1,2].
The focus of this presentation is dust storm
research related to EMM. Owing to its
high-altitude orbit, the EMM instrumentation
provides snapshots of the Mars atmosphere and
surface at a near-hemispheric view. Moreover,
EMM provides situational information on Mars
dust storms at a sub-daily time step. In the
standard science mode, the EMM instrument
EXI (Emirates Exploration Imager, [3]) provides
camera images each ~2-3 hours. Moreover,
several image sequences with a time step of
ca. 5 minutes are obtained per month. These are
so-called high-cadence images. Both standard
science products and high-cadence images are
valuable for the detection and tracking of dust
storms.
Based on EMM data products with
sub-diurnal coverage, we will explore dust
storms of particular interest. Any dust storm is
relevant, if there are unique EXI images, in line
with the spatial and temporal coverage of EMM.
This will include, but is not limited to, large dust
storm events and their impact. A recent example
is the first large dust storm observed by EMM.
Fig. 1 shows the situation shortly before this dust
storm. Selected dust storm observations are
provided in Figs. 2 and 3. This dust storm
occurred in early January 2022 and impacted
different spacecraft on the Mars surface, other
than EMM.
The EMM science phase officially started on
May 23rd, 2021 (Martian Year 36, LS49). The
early EMM science phase is thus part of the
low-dust-loading-season of Martian Year 36
(~LS10-140). The low-dust-loading-season

(LDL) is generally known for the sparsity of dust
storms at the low-to-midlatitudes. In few Martian
Years, however, even unusual regional dust
storms occur during the LDL [4]. As an integral
part, this presentation will also cover the early
EMM science phase, in the LDL of Martian Year
36. This will include some large local dust storm
of particular interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge support
by a Joint Research Agreement between the
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)
and the National Space Science and Technology
Center (NSSTC), UAE University. This work
was also supported by the UAE University
research grant “Mars and Earth atmospheric
science research at the National Space Science
and Technology Center (NSSTC)”, 31R253.
References
[1] Amiri, H.E.S., Brain, D., Sharaf, O. et al. The
Emirates Mars Mission. Space Sci Rev 218, 4
(2022).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-02100868-x
[2] Almatroushi, H., AlMazmi, H., AlMheiri,
N. et al. Emirates Mars Mission Characterization
of
Mars
Atmosphere
Dynamics
and
Processes. Space Sci Rev 217, 89 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00851-6
[3] Jones, A.R., Wolff, M., Alshamsi, M. et
al. The Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI)
Instrument on the Emirates Mars Mission
(EMM) Hope Mission. Space Sci Rev 217, 81
(2021).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-02100852-5
[4] Montabone, L., Spiga, A., Kass, D.
M., Kleinboehl, A., Forget, F., & Millour,
E. (2020). Martian year 34 column dust
climatology from mars climate sounder
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Planets, 125,
e2019JE006111.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006111

Fig. 1: This Mars image from the EMM instrument EXI was obtained on 2021-12-29 (LS149). The image
includes the Mars regions Syrtis Major and Hellas. At that time, the Mars atmosphere was relatively clear
of dust. Few days later, EXI observed a large dust storm in this area. This is shown in the following
Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 2: These two EXI images were obtained on 2022-01-05 at a time difference of 2-3 hours. In both
images, the Mars dayside is on the left and the nightside on the right. There is a large dust storm eastward
from the Mars region Syrtis Major and northward from the Hellas region.

Fig. 3.: Same as Fig. 2, but the EXI images are from 2022-01-07 and 2022-01-09, respectively. Dust storm
activity is ongoing around the Mars region Syrtis Major.