It’s Spring on Mars—and That Means Violently Explosive Geysers and Avalanches
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Summary
The Martian northern hemisphere’s four-season year ended on November 12, 2024, with the arrival of spring, marked by explosive phenomena including avalanches of frozen carbon dioxide and bursts of gas, sand, and dust, as temperatures rise.
Springtime on Mars also sees strong winds that have created the characteristic spiral pattern of the planet’s north polar cap over many years.
Reaching temperatures of 20 degrees below zero, springtime on Mars is still very cold, but the arrival of sunlight allows for icy landscapes to reveal distinctive spider-like landforms, known as araneidoform terrain, as the ice melts.
The spring season on Mars is still very active, according to researcher Selina Diniega, who says, “I imagine it would be very noisy, with things cracking and exploding.
