Abstract
Rovers and landers on Mars have experienced local, regional, and
planetary-scale dust storms. However, in situ documentation of
active lifting within storms has remained elusive. Over 5-11 January
2022 (LS 153°-156°), a dust storm passed over the
Perseverance rover site. Peak visible optical depth was
~2, and visibility across the crater was briefly
reduced. Pressure tides and temperatures responded to the storm. Winds
up to 20 m s-1 rotated around the site before the wind
sensor was damaged. The rover imaged 21 dust-lifting events—gusts and
dust devils—in one 25-minute period, and at least three events
mobilized sediment near the rover. Rover tracks and drill cuttings were
extensively modified, and debris was moved onto the rover deck.
Migration of small ripples was seen, but there was no large-scale change
in undisturbed areas. This work presents an overview of observations and
initial results from the study of the storm.