Planet Four Talk

Generation, direction and timing of carbon dioxide plumes

  • wolfango by wolfango

    I was wondering if the plume orientation can be used to determine the timing of the event. Plumes pointing in different direction and of different intensity can be used to determine the strength of the wind and the intensities of the hotspots. Is it possible that the wind is the cause of such event? Maybe a wind warmer than carbon dioxide ice manages to reach the space between the ice and the martian soil to sublimate the CO2. The vapour cracks the ice sheet in regular patterns from which the gases stream to the surface. The same vapour once on the surface is transported by the wind forming a volcano like plume under which the ice melts. Hence the contrast between the darker warmer plume against the surrounding icy terrain.

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