Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month, June 2015: Martin Voelker and Daniela Tirsch (Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin).
In July 2012 the Context Camera (CTX) on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) observed an upcoming and well-defined dust storm in a giant impact basin in the southern hemisphere on Mars known as Hellas Planitia. Although this deep lowland is notable for its dust storms, this image shows a unique view of a nascent storm system; from its first gusts to its shredded front.
In Hellas Planitia dust storm events usually occur during the southern hemisphere summer, when the solar insolation is the most intense. The high temperatures cause atmospheric convection, and thus wind currents. However, the observed dust storm appeared during the southern winter (Ls = 134°). The reason is related to relatively small size as local events occur at this location during the whole…. [More at link]