Science & technology

Study: Mars Dust Devils Reach 160 km/h

Published OCT 9 2025

Story

Above: Recreation of the climb of Olympus Mons in the documentary "Ascent of the Red Planet" in France on Dec. 2, 2002. Image credit: Francis DEMANGE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

The Facts

In a study published on Wednesday in Science Advances, researchers analyzed 20 years of imagery from European Space Agency orbiters Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to create a catalog of 1,039 dust devils across Mars between 2004 and 2024, using neural networks to identify these phenomena.
Science
The study revealed that Martian dust devils can reach speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour (99 miles per hour), significantly faster than previous measurements from Mars rovers and exceeding predictions from current climate models by factors of 3 to 10 meters per second.
Science
IFLScience
Scientists determined dust devils occur most frequently during spring and summer months in both hemispheres, typically lasting only a few minutes and peaking between 11:00 and 14:00 local solar time, similar to patterns observed on Earth.
Space
PHYS
The research team tracked movement patterns for 373 of the detected dust devils by analyzing color offsets and stereo imaging delays in spacecraft data, converting unwanted image artifacts into scientific measurements of wind velocity and direction.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9News Australia
Many dust devils were concentrated in Amazonis Planitia, a smooth plain covered with fine dust and sand that provides ideal conditions for formation due to its flat terrain and high solar illumination during summer months on Mars.
CNN
The Register
The findings are expected to help plan future Mars missions by providing wind condition data for landing sites, enabling scientists to estimate dust accumulation on rover solar panels and determine optimal cleaning schedules for sustained operations.
9News Australia
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The Spin

Narrative A

This new research offers a crucial roadmap for future Mars missions. By converting decades of orbital images into precise wind measurements — revealing speeds up to 160 km/h, far faster than previously estimated — and mapping their seasonal and daily patterns, scientists can better predict dust accumulation on rover solar panels, evaluate landing site conditions and plan operations, turning what was once background “noise” on Mars into actionable mission intelligence.

European Space Agency

Narrative B

While Martian dust devils may be faster than originally thought, historical observations suggest the planet’s ultra-thin atmosphere limits their destructive power. Winds, even in global storms, rarely exceed 97 km/h, making major equipment damage unlikely. Dust accumulation on solar panels and mechanical components remains a real operational challenge, but these effects are typically manageable, offering engineers predictable conditions for planning landers, rovers and future human missions.