Observational consequences of Martian wind regimes.

Abstract

The connection with past and future observations of Mars of the high velocity relief winds deduced by Gierasch and Sagan (1971) is examined with the assistance of a large topographic map of Mars. A unimodal hypsometric curve is derived. Seasons and locales of wind velocities at the half surface pressure level below 80 m/sec, sufficient to lift dust at the surface, are identified. A number of suggestions are made that can be checked by observations with the Mariner Mars 1971 orbiters.