Mars cloud model suggests exotic physics at work

Researchers at Sorbonne Université have successfully modeled the formation of the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, a Martian feature that stretches over 1,000 miles. The study indicates the cloud is driven by a physical process that has never been directly observed in any planet's atmosphere.

Every morning during Martian spring and summer, a thin, wispy cloud emerges near the volcano Arsia Mons. It gradually elongates until it reaches a length comparable to the distance between New York and Kansas City before dissipating. This cycle repeats for several months. First recorded by a probe in 2018, the phenomenon, known as AMEC, previously lacked a plausible scientific explanation.

Jorge Hernández-Bernal, a planetary scientist at Sorbonne Université and lead author of the study, stated that the model required the inclusion of specific exotic physics. He noted that while this physics is included in textbooks, it is typically treated as theoretical and assumed not to occur in nature. In a press release, Hernández-Bernal explained that adding this theoretical component to their simulations resulted in the AMEC forming as predicted.