Exploratour - The Atmosphere of Mars
Global Dust Storms
The most important type of storms which occur on Mars seem to be, not rain storms, but a type of wind storm called a Global Dust Storm. Martian Global Dust Storms occur quite frequently, and just as the name implies, can envelop the entire planet is whirling dust! The action of sands carried by winds during Martian Global Dust Storms makes a great contribution toward wearing down rocks on the Martian surface.
This image shows a local dust storm near the edge of the south polar cap. Viewing of this image at high resolution is recommended. This fascinating image shows dust swirling over a large area.
Martian Global Dust Storms tend to start in the southern hemisphere with a local dust storm, such as the one shown here. Southern spring and summer seem to be the season for Global Dust Storms. Global Dust Storms do not occur every Martian spring or summer, however.