by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 18, 2012 Observations of
wind patterns and natural radiation patterns on Mars by NASA's
Curiosity rover are helping scientists better understand the
environment on the Red Planet's surface. Researchers using the
car-sized mobile laboratory have identified transient
whirlwinds, mapped winds in relation to slopes, tracked daily
and seasonal changes in air pressure, and linked rhythmic
changes in radiation to daily atmospheric changes. The knowledge
being gained about these processes helps scientists interpret
evidence about environmental changes on Mars that might have led
to conditions favorable for life. During the first 12 weeks
after Curiosity landed in an area named Gale Crater, an
international team of researchers analyzed data from more than
20 atmospheric events with at least one characteristic of a
whirlwind recorded by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station
(REMS) instrument. Those characteristics can include a brief dip
in air pressure, a change in wind dire