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When are dust storms most common on Mars?
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Mars
An especially serene view of Mars (Tharsis side), a composite of images taken by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in April 1999. The northern polar cap and encircling dark dune field of Vastitas Borealis are visible at the top of the globe. White water-ice clouds surround the most prominent volcanic peaks, including Olympus Mons near the western limb, Alba Patera to its northeast, and the line of Tharsis volcanoes to the southeast. East of the Tharsis rise can be seen the enormous near-equatorial gash that marks the canyon system Valles Marineris.
On Mars, dust storms can occur at any time, but they are most frequent during the southern spring and summer. During these seasons, the planet is passing closest to the Sun, resulting in the highest surface temperatures.1
These storms typically begin at preferred locations in the southern hemisphere. While most remain regional in extent and last for a few weeks, they can occasionally intensify into global events every second or third year. During such intense periods, dust is carried high into the atmosphere, obscuring the entire surface of the planet until atmospheric clarity eventually returns.21