Mars’ climate is colder than Earth’s due to its distance from the sun and smaller size. The atmosphere is mainly carbon dioxide and has relatively calm winds, but dust storms can occur and the seasons are twice as long as Earth’s.
The climate and weather conditions on Mars are very different from those on Earth. One reason is that Mars is about one and a half times farther from the Sun than Earth. Another reason for the difference in climate is that Mars is much smaller than Earth, and Mars’ diameter at the equator is about half that of Earth. As a result of these factors, the temperature of the Mars climate is relatively cold and the average temperature is -80°F (about -60°C). The poles of Mars are the coldest when they reach a low temperature of -195°F (-125°C) while the temperature at the equator can reach 70°F (20°C.)
The temperature on the surface of Mars varies with altitude and time of day. Another contributing factor is when the atmosphere contains more dust particles than usual, which absorb sunlight and transfer heat to the atmosphere. The gases in the atmosphere on Mars consist mainly of carbon dioxide, which makes up 95.3% of the atmosphere. The remaining gases vary, and Mars’ atmosphere actually contains very little oxygen compared to Earth. Carbon dioxide from Mars’ climate freezes into thin clouds at high altitudes, and in the morning, haze and fog are often created by water ice due to low temperatures.
Mars’ climate contains wind patterns that occur across the planet and are caused by differences in how the atmosphere warms from the Sun at high and low latitudes. The results are relatively calm winds, with speeds averaging about 6 miles (10 kilometers) per hour. There have been winds on Mars that have been observed at speeds of 55 miles (90 kilometers) per hour, but because the atmosphere isn’t very thick, these winds don’t exert much force.
These winds can have some interesting effects on Mars’ climate, creating dust storms and tornadoes, known as dust devils, as dust from the surface is kicked up into the atmosphere. As this dust heats up from the sun, stronger winds form, more dust is collected and heated, and the process continues to cause the storm to get even bigger. The size of these storms can range from a few miles or kilometers across to dust storms that can cover the entire planet. Dust storms occur most often when Mars is closest to the sun and the atmosphere gets warmer. The seasons on Mars are twice as long as the seasons on Earth because Mars takes about twice as long to orbit the sun.
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